Financial Crime News 05/7/2023

(May 4) Local Treasurer Spent $1K A Day On Lottery Tickets With Stolen Funds From Church Group | PA

Antoinette Hodge, the treasurer of Uniontown who was charged last year by then-Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro for allegedly stealing $106,000 in taxpayer funds while in office, is now facing more charges.

Fayette County District Attorney Richard Bower said Hodge “substantially depleted” the funds of the Youghiogheny Western Baptist Association, where she was a chair of the trustee board, with the first incident happening in July 2018 and continuing through the pandemic.

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(May 1) Donations Stolen From Our Lady Of Martyrs Shrine | Auriesville, NY

The Montgomery County Sheriff‘s office investigating a theft that occurred at the Auriesville shrine over the weekend.

“A gentleman enters the front door of the Coliseum with either a long screwdriver or pry bar of some nature and pried open or donation bin, which normally hangs right here near the door, [it] was swung open,” said Executive Director Julie Baaki.

The shrine, a symbol of religion in the new world, and the church says it is the place of the first mass reading in what would become the United States, dating back to the 17th century. It has become the migration point for many Christians around the world.

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(May 1) A Lawrence Man Was Charged Following A Burglary Investigation At Saint Augustine’s Church Located On U.S. Highway 11, According To State Police. | Bangor, NY

State police charged Sean C. Michael, 29, with third-degree burglary, petit larceny, and third-degree criminal trespass, officers said.

Troopers responded March 18 to the church for a report of a suspicious male. An investigation determined Lawrence entered St. Augustine’s Church, then proceeded to start up a plow truck and steal the key fob to said truck from inside the detached garage.

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(April 28) Man Arrested For Allegedly Breaking Into Arnold Church | Arnold, MO

A 36-year-old man with no listed address was arrested two days after he reportedly broke into an Arnold church and stole a backpack from a Jefferson County Health Department car and a driver’s license from another vehicle, Arnold Police reported.

The man was arrested at about 7:50 p.m. April 18 when he was found walking near the West Outer Road near Elm Drive. The man was identified after blood samples were collected at the church he allegedly broke into, the report said.

Officers were called on April 16 to the Home Church, 1595 Archer Drive, after a shattered window was discovered in the back of the building. No items appeared to be missing from the church, and the estimated cost to repair the window was $1,500, according to the report.

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(April 28) DeKalb County Church Members Shocked After Portable Stages Stolen Ahead Of Community Event | Decatur, GA

Church members in Decatur are shocked after they said someone nearly stole the show as they were preparing to celebrate 11 years of service.

The pastor at Church Connect ATL, Tez Andrews, said their portable stages were stolen ahead of their huge outdoor concert for their anniversary event this weekend.

For the church's anniversary they are putting together an outdoor concert with a clothing giveaway, food giveaway and more. Church members are calling it Connect Church Day.

The moment was caught on a neighbor's video Tuesday.

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