Oral Roberts' Son Arrested for Allegedly Speeding, Driving Drunk in Okla.
Richard Roberts, former president of Oral Roberts University and son of televangelist Oral Roberts, was arrested in Oklahoma Tuesday for speeding and suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, according to a police report.
An Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper apprehended Roberts for driving his black Mercedes at 93 mph in a 65 mph speed zone, Tulsa World reported. According to Roberts' arrest report, the incident happened shortly after midnight on the Creek Turnpike west of U.S. 169.
Roberts, currently the chairman and CEO of Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, had a blood-alcohol level that was .03 percent above the legal limit, measuring at .11 percent.
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The arrest report also revealed that there was a strong alcohol odor that the trooper recognized when Roberts was pulled over. After failing the gaze sobriety and the walk-and-turn tests, he was taken to the Jenks Police Department to have his blood-alcohol level tested.
Roberts, 63, was booked into the Tulsa County Jail on speeding and DUI charges at 2:46 a.m. CST. However, he was released on $1,100 bond just before 6 a.m.
Oral Roberts University (ORU) released a statement Tuesday morning on its former president's arrest: "Our prayers go out to Richard and Lindsay Roberts and their entire family as they face this life challenge. May God's grace help them as they work towards healing."
Charisma News reported that ORU's current president, Mark Rutland, has also expressed his condolences.
"My heart goes out to Richard Roberts and the entire Roberts family. Richard served here for many years and he is in our prayers," he said. "Our God is a God of mercy and compassion, and ORU is a place of healing love. I am thankful that here at Oral Roberts University we are building Spirit-empowered leaders to impact their world for Jesus Christ."
In 2007, Roberts resigned as university president amid allegations that he and his family misused school and ministry resources. He served as head of ORU, which was founded by his late father, for 15 years. However, Roberts was given the honorary title of president emeritus in 2008.
Jeremy Burton, ORU's Director of Public Relations, reportedly said the school now believes that referring to Roberts as its former president is more accurate.
Burton stated that president emeritus "was a title that was given by the exiting board of regents right as we were transitioning to our new board of trustees," Tulsa World reported. He added that it is "maybe incongruent to how we refer to him."
Richard Roberts, along with his wife Lindsay, host "The Place for Miracles: Your Hour of Healing," a one-hour nationally syndicated television broadcast.
Introduced in 1997, its website describes the interactive daily show as an hour of live healing testimonies, anointed prayer, and the teaching of God's word.
