California Office Manager & Cohorts Charged With Embezzling $600K From Church

Kathleen "Kathy" Dake, 58, of Danville, California, and two cohorts have been arrested and charged with embezzling nearly $600,000 from the St. Isidore's Catholic Church in Danville, where Dake had served as office manager. Others arrested in the scheme include Virgilio Lukban, 46, of Danville and Evelyn Peinado, 64, of Alamo. According to authorities, Dake, Peinado, was a volunteer with the church's finance committee, and Lukban, another church employee, systematically looted its finances by making unauthorized credit card charges for personal purposes as well as writing church checks for their own benefit. Approximately $580,000 is believed to have been misappropriated by the trio.

Read the story here, here and here.

Update (5/13/11): Dake has pleaded not guilty to the charges.