Weekly Church Crime News 10/24/2022

(October 19) New Orleans Minister Admits Stealing Almost $900K From His Church, Parishioners

Rev. Charles Southall III has pleaded guilty to money laundering after defrauding First Emanuel Baptist Church and a charter school of close to a million dollars. A New Orleans minister has admitted to defrauding his church, its housing ministries, his parishioners and a charter school out of nearly $900,000. A New Orleans minister has admitted to defrauding his church, its housing ministries, his parishioners and a charter school out of nearly $900,000.

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(October 19) Sheriff: 2 Men Arrested For String Of Church Burglaries In Citrus County

CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — Two men were arrested in Citrus County on Friday in connection to a string of burglaries that happened at local churches and storage facilities throughout the county, the sheriff's office said in a news release. 

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(October 19) Two Killed In An Attack On An Evangelical Church In Nigeria

An attack on a Christian chapel in north-central Nigeria on Sunday left two women dead in the latest round of ongoing violence against places of worship in the West African country. Two female members of an evangelical community in Kogi State in north-central Nigeria are the latest victims of ongoing deadly attacks against churches and mosques in the West African nation.

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(October 19) Suspected Arsonist In Santa Cruz County Church Fire Arrested

WATSONVILLE — Police arrested a suspected arsonist Tuesday in connection with a late-night fire that left St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church damaged and temporarily shuttered, authorities said. Watsonville police authorities say Alberto Melgoza, 36, of Watsonville, was detained within hours of the blaze with the help of church surveillance footage.

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(October 10) OPP Investigating Church Theft In North Perth

On October 14th at around 12:18pm, Perth County OPP responded to a reported theft at a church on Wallace Avenue North in North Perth. It as reported sometime between 10:30am on October 2nd and 11:30am October 9th unknown persons removed a soundboard mixer and DVD player from the church.

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(October 18) 7 Killed In Kogi Church Attack, Road Mishap

TWO persons have been killed, while three others were injured as yet-to-be-ascertained gunmen attacked a Celestial Church in Felele, Lokoja, Kogi State. This came as auto crash claimed five lives in the same state. The attack occurred late Sunday at the church premises located behind NNPC Mega station in Felele. 

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(October 18) Gunmen Attack Church During Service, Killing Two

Gunmen attacked a church in north-central Nigeria during a service, killing a woman and her young daughter, a government official said Monday as the hunt for the suspects intensified. The motorcycle-riding assailants arrived at the Celestial Church on Sunday and fatally shot the two victims, according to Jerry Omodara, Kogi state’s top security official.

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(October 17) Mormon Church Hit By Cyberattack, Personal Data Exposed

It has been reported that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Thursday that unauthorised activity was detected on its computer systems that impacted the personal data of church members and employees, among others. The church stated it has been investigating the activity with law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to better understand the origin and scope of the incident.

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(October 17) Church Donations, Mail Stolen From Ormond Beach Church's Mailbox, Pastor Says

The pastor of a church in Ormond Beach said surveillance video caught two people who broke into their mailbox recently and stole church donations and bills, the second time the church's mailbox has reportedly been damaged in weeks. Surveillance video shows a maroon-colored van pull into Providence Church's parking lot and come to stop in front of the mailbox.

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(October 17) Nebraska Man Accused Of Stealing Cameras From Church Scheduled For Trial In November

A Nebraska man accused of burglary and criminal mischief for allegedly stealing cameras from Holy Angels Church in Roselle has filed not-guilty pleas to the charges levied against him in Carroll County District Court. According to court records, 65-year-old Ronald Alan Long of York was arrested by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office after an investigation determined the man had stolen at least three cameras from the church’s interior near the end of August. 

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