CHARLOTTE, N.C.- The pastor of a Charlotte church was sentenced to five years and three months in prison for tax evasion and stealing from his congregation.

The Rev. John Henry Walker was sentenced Friday by a federal judge who ordered him to begin serving the sentence immediately, and to pay more than $277,000 in restitution.

Walker, 48, pleaded guilty in November to tax evasion, bank fraud and lying to federal agents. He apologized Friday to the court and his family, but also said that former members of Macedonia Baptist Church tried to undermine his leadership.

“I’m already punished, labeled as a felon,” Walker said, stopping once to fight back tears. “I am not perfect. I’ve made mistakes. But this is the first time I’ve ever faced anything like this. It still seems like a nightmare.”

Federal prosecutors asked for a longer sentence, saying that Walker was an unrepentant thief who used charisma and bullying to get members of his church to help him steal. They said he used his Charlotte church’s credit card to pay for erectile-dysfunction medication and hotel visits with female parishioners.

He failed to report more than $750,000 of income between 1998 and 2004 and lied on loan applications to buy a $46,000 Lexus, a $62,000 Mercedes and a 5,300-square-foot home, prosecutors said.

Defense attorneys said that Walker was a military veteran and a former firefighter who deserved leniency, and asked U.S. District Judge Frank Whitney to sentence him to probation and home detention.

Whitney acknowledged that Walker’s family and congregation have suffered, but cited overwhelming evidence that Walker defrauded his church.

“Fifteen years of tax evasion shows this defendant does not respect the law,” Whitney said.

“It’s his criminal conduct that has caused this day to come.”