Popular Newark Religious Leader Arrested After Luring Allegations – RLS Media
Residents in Newark and Essex County are waking up to reports of the arrest of one of the region’s prominent and popular religious leaders.
Dr. Albert J. Lewis, 75, founder of the World Gospel Music Organization, was taken into custody and processed at the Essex County Jail, according to public information from the jail on Wednesday.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office has not immediately released official information on the arrest when contacted by phone on Wednesday around 4:17 p.m.
Official charges have not been filed as of Thursday at 4:05 a.m.
Public information indicated that Dr. Lewis was released from The Essex County jail Thursday evening.
According to residents in Dr. Lewis’s Lyons Avenue neighborhood, detectives made several appearances at the #123 address, also the online address for The World Gospel Music Association.
A female resident on Lyons Avenue said she was familiar with the incident and believed the case is centered around a luring incident that involved an adult male and no children are listed.
The victim reportedly felt deceived by who/what Dr. Lewis initially demonstrated during the alleged interaction. “Some type of medical procedure was conducted using a chemical or spray on the victim,” the resident told RLS Media.
There is no immediate information on any explicit contact or assault charges alleged at this time.
It is unclear what items were taken from the Lyon’s Avenue home during the search and investigation.
According to a Facebook post written by a nephew of Dr. Lewis, he is a living legend.
The nephew wrote the following:
“52 years ago, he founded and established WGMA (World Gospel Music Association).
A few years after founding this organization, he started the Dr. Lewis Gospel Hour television show that has aired nationally and internationally for 37 years.
This television program allowed today’s stars to be discovered, such as Savion Glover, “the tap dance kid,” Joshua Nelson, “the voice of Mahalia Jackson,” The Frierson Singers, just to name a few. Dr. Lewis was on the radio and television production team for Dr. Bobby Jones.
Dr. Lewis was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and is now the curator of the Gospel for the Historic Newark Symphony Hall.
As the curator, he has formed and established a ministers council and the Newark Symphony Hall Gospel Chorale. These are just a few things about my uncle Dr. Lewis”, his nephew continued.
According to reports, through his non-profit World Gospel Music Association, Dr. Lewis was recently tapped to lead a citywide gospel music extravaganza for Mayor Ras Baraka’s “Team 2022” election campaign. 
The religious leader has a strong following with Newark’s senior citizen residents and over a hundred church’s/congregations around NJ.
The incident is under investigation.