Former Pastor Sentenced For Embezzling Some $100K From California Church

From the Press Democrat on 2/19/14:

A former Lake County pastor has been sentenced to three years in state prison for embezzling an estimated $100,000 in cash and property from his church.

Bruce Anthony Stark, 63, of Stockton, was handcuffed and taken into custody Tuesday after the sentence was handed down, said Lake County Deputy District Attorney Sharon Lerman-Hubert.

Stark, who served as pastor of the Hilltop Apostolic Church in Clearlake from 2002 to 2008, had pleaded guilty in December to one count of grand theft, she said. The plea could have resulted in a sentence that ranged from probation to three years, Lerman-Hubert said.

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Stark's wife, Shanell Stark, the church's one-time treasurer, previously pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, Lerman-Hubert said.

Bruce Stark's thefts included cash, a van and land parcels that belonged to the church, Lerman-Hubert said. He reportedly borrowed money against the property.

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