Rev. Dr. Delman Coates, senior pastor of Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Maryland, is seeking millions of dollars in damages after accusing a late Rhode Island attorney of mishandling and failing to repay money connected to a series of lending and real-estate transactions.
Coates filed an 18-count lawsuit in Kent County Superior Court against the estate of attorney Ronald W. Dunbar Jr. and several other individuals and companies. According to the lawsuit, Coates began working with Dunbar after being introduced to him in 2024 by a Massachusetts developer who spoke positively about the attorney.
The pastor initially provided money for short-term bridge loans. Because some of those early transactions were reportedly repaid with fees, Coates says he became comfortable continuing the business relationship.
The relationship later expanded into construction financing involving The Orchard, a condominium development in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Coates alleges that he ultimately advanced at least $2.85 million through various transactions arranged or facilitated by Dunbar.
According to the lawsuit, Coates expected his investments to be protected by real-estate security and other legal documents. He now alleges that some of those protections were never properly established.
The complaint also claims that Dunbar repeatedly assured Coates that repayment was coming, including through the anticipated sale of the condominium development. Coates says a proposed $8.575 million sale did not materialize and that the money he expected from the transaction never arrived.
By November 2025, Dunbar allegedly calculated that he owed Coates more than $4.44 million. The pastor says he received approximately $400,000 in subsequent payments, leaving a substantial balance outstanding.
Coates is asking the court for financial damages, restitution and other remedies, including measures involving the remaining property connected to the development.
Dunbar died on July 28, 2026, before Coates filed the lawsuit. His estate and the other defendants are now facing the allegations in court.
The case is part of broader scrutiny surrounding Dunbar’s financial dealings. Other individuals have reportedly raised separate allegations involving millions of dollars.
The allegations against Dunbar and the other defendants remain claims in ongoing litigation and have not been established as facts by a court.
