North Carolina Church Treasurer Stole $20,000

A former church treasurer has been charged with 11 counts of embezzlement after sheriff's officials said she had taken more than $20,000 over a three-year period.The Mount Airy News reported Wanda Lucille Oakley, 54, of Lowgap was arrested in August and will appear in court in December.
Surry County Sheriff Graham Atkinson said leaders at the Liberty Union Baptist Chruch in Lowgap noticed discrepancies in the church's books in the spring and reported it to the sheriff's office.An investigation uncovered Oakley allegedly stole money from November 2006 to February 2010, involving more than 400 transactions.Oakley reportedly used the church debit card for meals, car washes and other expenses. Some money was also transferred into a personal bank account, Atkinson said.Oakley had been the church's treasurer for several years before the embezzlement began, Atkinson said.The investigation is still ongoing. Oakley is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 14.