Financial Crime News 07/07/2023

(July 6) College Station Man Charged In First Baptist Church Burglary | Bryan, TX

A College Station man has been charged for the May burglary of the First Baptist Church on Cambridge Drive in Bryan, according to the Bryan Police Department.

Ryan Austin Reilly, 27, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for burglary of a building.

Police said that on May 11, Reilly allegedly entered the First Baptist Church, after it had accidentally been left unlocked, and stole 11 electronic devices valued at nearly $6,000.

Officers were able to connect Reilly to the crime after finding out via LeadsOnline, a website for law enforcement that shows transactions nationwide, that he had sold three iPads shortly after the alleged burglary took place, police said.

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(July 5) Erie Police Investigating Theft At Saint Peter Cathedral | Erie, PA

The City of Erie Police are searching for information on a suspect who allegedly stole cash from Saint Peter Cathedral this past weekend.

Father Michael Ferrick said the theft took place on Friday, June 30, during a wedding happening in the church.

As seen in the footage, a man went into the sacristy during the service and stole keys to the rectory, where church offices and residences are located.

He then stole an undisclosed amount of money. Police have not yet identified the suspect.

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(July 3) Thousands Of Dollars In Fireworks Stolen From Fresno Church | Fresno, CA

Thousands of dollars in fireworks were stolen from a local church just a day before the 4th of July holiday and the money raised usually goes to fund their youth camp.

“Noticed that the storage container was ajar, I thought oh no,” said Assistant Pastor Joel Rockey.

Rockey says he pulled into work at the firework stand, around 7 a.m. Monday and immediately noticed something was wrong.

“I was driving down Palm and got there and realized thankfully not everything was stolen but there was a lot of product that was stolen,” he said.

Rockey says there was also damage to the fence and at least $5,000 worth of fireworks were taken out of the storage container.

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(July 3) Police Charge 23-Year-Old With Hate Crime At Historically Black Maryland Church | Annapolis, MD

A 23-year-old man has been charged with trespassing and burglary after an investigation of vandalism estimated at more than $100,000 at a Maryland church.

Jarren Alexander was taken into custody on Wednesday (June 28) after an incident earlier in the month at Fowler United Methodist Church in Annapolis, police said. He was also named as a suspect in vandalism at another church in the city, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, which suffered destruction of a church sign and statues on subsequent days.

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(July 3) Video Captures Suspects Stealing Gutters From Norfolk Church | Norfolk, VA

On June 23, 2023, around midnight two men entered the playground of the Epworth United Methodist Church and stole copper gutters from the building.

The crime was reported to police five days later.

In church security footage released by police, two men are seen entering the premises through an open gate and walking around the property.

The men move slowly around the premises, and appear to pull on the church’s door only to find it locked.

After disappearing from view for a few moments, the men come back and can be seen ripping the gutters off the side of the building.

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