Financial Crime News 05/21/2023

(May 17) Woman Sentenced After Stealing $175K From LaPlace Church, Daycare | Laplace, LA

A 68-year-old woman accused of embezzling more than $175,000 from a LaPlace church and its daycare was sentenced Friday to 27 months in prison, according to U.S. District Attorney Duane Evans' office.

Anita Hobdy, of LaPlace, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in the theft from First Baptist Church, according to court records.

Hobdy had served as bookkeeper for the church and its daycare, Wee Care, for about 15 years, according to authorities. But in 2015, she began using church money to pay for personal expenses, authorities said.

Hobdy used the church credit card, withdrew cash from church accounts that she didn't reimburse and disguised some of her personal expenses as church expenses, court records said.

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(May 17) Grace Bible Church Burglary Suspect Taken Into Custody | Wild Rose, WI

On Sunday May 7 the Wild Rose Police Dept was notified that a Burglary had occurred at Grace Bible Church located on Carey Ave in the Village of Wild Rose.  Church security cameras captured the lone suspect inside the church stealing various items in the early morning hours.  A few hours later the Wild Rose Police Department was notified about a suspicious individual who matched the description of the church Bburglary suspect. 

The Wild Rose Police Department requested assistance from the Waushara County Sheriff’s Office.  Officers and deputies made contact with the suspect near the Pine River in Wild Rose.  

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(May 17) Online Criminals Steal $700,000 From Florida Baptists In Phishing Email Scam | Jacksonville, FL 

The investigation continues into how more than $700,000 was stolen from the Florida Baptist Convention (FBC) by a fraudulent email, also known as a phishing scam.

The Religion News Service reports the Florida Baptist staff received an email that claimed to be from the North American Mission Board (NAMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention which partners with the Florida Baptists on church planting. The email was not from the NAMB, but it requested funds to be sent to a new account number.

The FBC said in a May 10 statement posted on the state convention's website it had "experienced an incident of financial fraud. The fraudulent transaction is related to a payment from our convention to one of our SBC entities. We have reported this crime to the FBI, local law enforcement, our insurance carrier, our bank, and our auditing firm."

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(May 16) More Than $10,000 Worth Of Items Stolen From Upstate Church | Spartan, SC

The Spartanburg Police Department said more than two dozen items were stolen from an Upstate church.

According to the police department, a total of $10,000 worth of items were stolen from New Beginnings Restoration Church in September of 2022.

Church officials said that money was also taken from the church’s banking account via checks made payable to a former churchgoer who had access to the church’s bank account.

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(May 16) Nearly 2,000 Organ Pipes Stolen From Memphis Church | Memphis, TN

Restoration work on a nearly 100-year-old pipe organ at a historic downtown Memphis church has stopped after someone stole 1,800 pipes that had been boxed up and were headed to a repair shop in the Boston area.

Calvary Episcopal Church is asking the public to be on the lookout for a yellow Penske moving truck with a Massachusetts plate.

Organist-Choirmaster Dr. Kristin Lensch said when they arrived at church Sunday, they discovered the truck containing the organ pipes was missing.

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