Minnesota pastor charged with stealing more than $60,000 from church

An Inver Grove Heights pastor has reportedly embezzled more than $60,000 from the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Church Synod over multiple years.

Leon Edwill Piepenbrink, 51, of St. Paul, was charged May 4 in Dakota County District Court with seven counts of theft-by-swindle for reportedly fabricating expenses and stealing money from the church.
Attempts by the Review to reach Piepenbrink to ask about the charges facing him were unsuccessful.
According to a criminal complaint, in August of last year, Inver Grove Heights Police received a complaint of theft involving Piepenbrink. During an investigation of the report, police found Piepenbrink was a pastor employed by WELS and had his office at the Shepherd of the Hills Church, located in Inver Grove Heights. WELS is the third-largest Lutheran church body in the U.S., has more than 1,200 congregations as members and prides itself on missions and evangelism.
Piepenbrink was a former Asian ministry coordinator from 2005 to 2010, according to a press release from the Milwaukee-based church synod.
During that time, Piepenbrink mentored Hmong leaders and pastors in Inver Grove Heights.
Church members reportedly grew suspicious of Piepenbrink last summer after he told them members of the community he was working with were threatening his safety. Piepenbrink requested reimbursement for expenditures related to security systems, bulletproof glass and for the purchase of a gun.
Piepenbrink also reportedly told church officials he had been shot at by the occupant of another vehicle as he was driving on Highway 55 near Hastings June 16, 2010. As a result of Piepenbrink's statements, church officials began investigating his monetary claims.
During questioning about the fabrications, Piepenbrink admitted he stole money from the church, according to the complaint.
How much money is missing isn't exactly clear, however.
The complaint states that Piepenbrink, who had access to two separate church funds, siphoned money from church accounts beginning in 2007 and ending in 2010 after the church terminated him from his position. In 2007, he allegedly took more than $2,500 for personal use. From May to October 2008, he allegedly stole more than $35,000. Over the next two years, he reportedly took more than $56,000, for a total of about $62,500.
However, Dakota County Attorney Jim Backstrom estimates the total amount could be in excess of $100,000.
"It's a significant sum of money we're alleging he misappropriated," Backstrom said. "When someone steals over $50,000, it's considered a major economic crime."
Backstrom added that embezzlement of such large sums isn't a crime that's all that uncommon.
"In the last five years, we've charged 12 individuals in Dakota County with stealing in excess of $100,000."
However, Backstrom said, in his experience, an individual stealing substantial amounts of money from churches is rare.
"We've never seen a theft of this nature from a faith community in Dakota County," he said.
Backstrom said to get to five or six figures in theft, embezzlers are usually part of large organizations that might have errors in their bookkeeping, which allows the theft to occur longer before it's spotted.
Todd Poppe, WELS chief financial officer said in a statement that the alleged swindle by Piepenbrink was a "unique and isolated incident in which someone had direct access to synod funds without proper protocols and oversight."
Poppe said once WELS became aware of the apparent misappropriation of funds several months ago, the synod reviewed with its boards for world and home missions whether there were any other funds without appropriate internal controls, but none were identified.
If Piepenbrink is convicted, Backstrom said Minnesota sentencing guidelines call for a nearly two-year prison sentence, and Piepenbrink would be called on to pay back the entire amount he allegedly stole, coupled with fines imposed by the court.