Monday, August 24, 2009

California Church Pastor Charged With Embezzling At Least $800K

The Rev. E. Joshua Sims, 47, pastor of the Double Rock Baptist Church in Compton, California, was arrested last week and charged with misappropriating more than $800,000 from the church. According to prosecutors, Sims diverted church funds into a personal account between March 2000 and September 2008. He reportedly took "thousands" of dollars each month in "housing allowances" not approved by the church board. At a meeting with the board, Sims reportedly admitted that more than $1 million was missing from church coffers. The funds are believed to have been used by Sims to buy a Mercedes-Benz automobile and to build a pool at his home.

Read the story here, here and here.

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