A former member of Pantano Baptist Church, Carmen Theel, allegedly stole more than $100,000 from the church. She reportedly converted the church fund to her personal use by making false information for over six years, from 2012 to 2018.

Stolen Church Fund

13 News reported that Carmen Theel, age 54, a former member of Pantano Baptist Church, has been charged with seven counts of fraudulent schemes, one count of theft and artifices, which is a class two felony, and one count of computer tampering, which is a class three felony. As mentioned, the documents say that she is also suspected of stealing more than 100,000 dollars over six years, from 2012 to 2018.

According to the materials filed with the court, she inserted fictitious information into the check register spreadsheet of the church to conceal from church personnel the monies that she had converted for her use. The documents filed with the court show that she pled not guilty. Moreover, she will be tried on all counts simultaneously at one trial if it reaches that point.

A report from the Douglas Budget stated that David Theel, who previously served as a captain in the Pima County Sheriff's Department, is Carmen Theel's husband. Throughout 2017, thirteen fresh investigations uncovered and documented that Theel demanded Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO)expenditures that were contrary to the guidelines established by the federal government.

The money is taken from those suspected of wrongdoing. Accordingly, all of this was part of an investigation by the FBI into allegations that the sheriff's department misappropriated RICO funding. In 2019, David Theel was given the job of police chief in Genrock, Wyoming; however, he has since been terminated from his position, which he is currently appealing.

Also Read: Former Liberty University President Jerry Falwell, Jr. Sues Evangelical University for $8.5M in Retirement Funds

Embezzlement in Churches

According to the Baptist Press, the findings of a poll conducted by LifeWay Research and completed with a total of 1,000 senior Protestant pastors state that approximately one in ten Protestant churches have had money stolen by an employee or member of the congregation. The poll was carried out by the organization between the dates of August 22 and September 16, 2016.

Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research, said this number isn't unexpected. Most churches rely on volunteers to manage their financial matters. As mentioned, these volunteer workers are typically trustworthy. Yet, churches frequently lack the mechanisms necessary to catch those who are not honest, which reportedly leads to the disappearance of funds that could have been put toward ministry work. Compared to Baptist ministers, who have a 7% embezzlement rate, and Presbyterian and Reformed pastors, who have a 6% embezzlement rate, Churches of Christ ministers are more likely to state that their church had monies embezzled for around 16%.

On the other hand, pastors of churches with 100 to 249 members are less likely to indicate a 6% embezzlement rate than pastors with 250 or more members that has a 12% of embezzlement rate.

In total, nine percent of pastors claim that money from their church has been stolen somehow. One hundred and one percent of respondents stated that they were unaware of embezzlement.

Related Article: Former Employee of Saint Matthew Catholic Church and School Sentenced 2 Years in Prison After Stealing $574k For Gambling and Vacation