Embezzlement Investigation At Kentwood Church in Michigan

FROM FOX17ONLINE.COM -

There is an ongoing criminal investigation into possible embezzlement of finances at a church in Kentwood, according to the Kent County Sheriff's Department.


Sources tell Fox 17 News it involves one of the pastors at Heritage Baptist Church, located off 60th street in Kentwood and may have been going for several years.

The parish has roughly 750 members.

Investigators say the church filed a complaint this week, prompting the investigation that began on Wednesday.

"Kent County Sherriff's Department was contacted by Heritage Baptist Church to address a matter of misappropriation or embezzlement of funds," explained Kent County Undersheriff Jon Hess.

"These types of investigations really take a long time. We have to do a lot of researching, auditing of funds," said Hess.

Fox 17 was told that some church members were informed about the incident on Sunday evening at a meeting, but were advised not to discuss the issue. The church issued a brief statement on Wednesday.

"An incident has occurred. It has been turned over to the Kent County Sheriff for investigation, no further statement is authorized until completion of their investigation," said spokesperson Mark Antram, who is a Christian Education Pastor at Heritage Baptist Church.
The Sheriff's Department said some church members knew something may be going on with the finances before, but they were not seeking charges. Now, that they filed a complaint, the investigation will begin. The information from the audit will be turned over to the prosecutor's office for possible charges.



"Depending on how money may have been embezzled or how it was done, those all have an impact on the type of charges the prosecutor will look at," said Hess.