A former church secretary is charged with felony theft by taking for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars from Central Baptist Church in Gainesville.
75-year-old Mary Ann Lee of Cleveland was taken into custody in Hall County on Wednesday, October 16 on an arrest warrant from Gainesville Police. The warrant states Lee stole $44,213 from the church over a four-year period beginning in January 2015.
Lee worked at Central Baptist Church for 24 years. She resigned this past May, the same month the church hired an investigator to look into the discovery of missing funds.
“When accounting and finance irregularities came to the attention of church leaders at Central Baptist Church, an internal investigation was conducted which led to the conclusion that something was seriously wrong,” says Pastor Mike Taylor in an emailed statement.
The church hired Kimberly Moore, a Certified Fraud Examiner and IRS Enrolled Agent, to conduct a formal investigation into the financial records of the church covering the past several years.
Taylor says Moore’s investigation and findings were detailed in a lengthy report. A synopsis of that report was discussed at a church business meeting on August 25 and the church recommended that the full report be forwarded to appropriate law enforcement officials in both Gainesville and Oakwood.
Gainesville Police launched their probe on August 26. Following her arrest, Lee was booked into the Hall County jail. Taylor responded to news of the arrest by calling for prayer.
“These results trigger a call to prayer for the families involved, for Central Baptist Church family, and for the Body of Christ at large in our communities during this difficult period,” Taylor writes. He adds the church will have no further comment on the investigation.
Oakwood Police are conducting a separate investigation into the matter, but details of that investigation have not been released.
Lee is currently out of jail on bond.
