A woman who served as an administrative assistant at Chicopee Baptist Church in Gainesville is accused of making thousands of dollars in unauthorized purchases with the church's credit card.
Hall County Sheriff's Office spokesman Derreck Booth said Stacy Lynn Richardson, 36, of Gainesville was arrested at her residence on Webb Girth Road on Saturday, May 2.
"Deputies responded to an April 25 theft report from officials at Chicopee Baptist Church, and at that point church officials who were involved with the finances had started noticing fraudulent charges on the church's credit card," Booth said.
He said the discovery was made after Richardson's position at the church was eliminated on April 14.
"[The church found] over the course of their investigation, the transactions totaled approximately $163,000," Booth said. He said the amount could change, since investigators are still working on a final tally.
Booth said Richardson worked for the church for five years beginning in January 2015.
Richardson has been charged with theft by deception for the credit card charges, but she also faces a felony charge of computer trespass.
"Also during the preliminary investigation, they found that on April 22, Richardson remotely accessed the church's computer system - and this was after she was no longer employed - and she did that without authority with the intention of deleting files," Booth said.
Booth said investigators believe Richardson acted alone.
Chicopee Baptist Church Pastor Clyde Self issued a statement Monday on behalf of the church, saying that the financial irregularities were discovered last month when the church hired a certified public accountant to handle church finances. The CPA and church officials turned over their findings to law enforcement.
"These results trigger a call to prayer for the families involved, for our Chicopee Baptist Church family, and for the Body of Christ at large in our community," Self wrote in the statement.
He said the church would have no more comments on the issue, since law enforcement is now handling the investigation.
Richardson posted $8,450 bond on Monday, May 4.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2020/5/900068/former-administrative-assistant-charged-with-credit-card-theft-from-chicopee-baptist-church