Son of accused church embezzler in Morristown, Tennessee charged with money laundering

A Morristown man was charged with laundering more than $450,000 after surrendering to police today, two months after his mother was charged with embezzling roughly $1.5 million from the Baptist church where she worked as a financial secretary, authorities said.Michael Dean Whitt, 42, allegedly was involved in several financial transactions and received multiple deposits to his bank account between July 2007 and April 30, 2010, that totaled $450,299.17, according to the Morristown Police Department.Whitt's mother, Barbara Whitt, who worked at First Baptist Church of Morristown for 47 years, was arrested May 10 for what authorities said could be one of the largest thefts in Hamblen County's history.She allegedly wrote herself nearly 1,650 checks made out to cash - totaling about $1.5 million - since at least January 2008, police said.The 68-year-old widow was previously released on $175,000 bond and was due to face a grand jury hearing on two felony charges - theft of more than $60,000 and criminal simulation - July 2. Prosecutors in the case could not immediately be reached for comment today.Barbara Whitt also faces a civil suit filed by the 2,500-member church, which has asked a judge to freeze any sale of her property.Morristown police said they have uncovered deposits to Michael Dean Whitt's bank account that allegedly came from the embezzled church funds as well.He was released on $175,000 bond today and has waived his arraignment hearing. A preliminary hearing in his case will be scheduled.

Accused Morristown, Tennessee church embezzler in court Tuesday

THE HAMBLEN COUNTY WOMAN ACCUSED OF EMBEZZLING NEARLY $125,000 FROM FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF MORRISTOWN WILL BE IN COURT TUESDAY FOR A PRELIMINARY HEARING.
68 YEAR OLD BARBARA WHITT, WHO WORKED AT THE CHURCH FOR NEARLY 5 DECADES, IS ACCUSED OF WRITING 132 CHECKS TO HERSELF FROM THE CHURCH'S COFFERS OVER A 5 WEEK SPAN EARLIER THIS YEAR.
IF CONVICTED OF THE FELONY THEFT CHARGE, WHITT COULD FACE BETWEEN 8 YEARS AND 12 YEARS IN PRISON. SHE IS CURRENTLY FREE ON BOND.

Embezzlement investigated at Rogersville, Tennessee church

Rogersville police are looking into the alleged embezzlement of thousands of dollars from a local church by one of its members.
Members with the Bridge Baptist Church on East Main Street in Rogersville recently began suspecting that a member serving as the church's accountant was embezzling thousands of dollars from the church.
Rogersville Police say they have one suspect, although the investigation is far from over and criminal charges aren't expected in the near future.
No solid figure has been released regarding the amount of money missing. One church member with knowledge of the situation estimates the figure is close to $90,000.
The alleged thefts came to light after bills marked as paid in church ledgers came back as unpaid, including monthly dues to the Southern Baptist Association.

Tennessee Church sues ex-pastor over alleged theft

A preacher who was supposed to be feeding his flock fleeced them instead, a lawsuit alleges. Carpenter's Chapel Inc., a church on Dogwood Road in Solway, has filed suit in Knox County Chancery Court against former pastor Hobart Randalls "Randy" Tinch, alleging he robbed church coffers of $347,000 during his 19-year tenure there.
Attorney Steve Shope, who is representing the church, said information gleaned from an audit of the church's books will be turned over to authorities for a criminal probe. Tinch, who lives in Oak Ridge, could not be reached for comment.
Shope described Tinch as a "charismatic" figure who used church offerings to support a lavish lifestyle that included pricey cars and expensive trips. The church was unaware of Tinch's alleged thievery until he stepped down as pastor in January 2008, when a resulting audit by a certified public accountant uncovered the misappropriation, Shope said.
The church sought to avoid litigation, but Shope said Tinch did not respond to attempts to meet with him to resolve the case outside of the courtroom.
"(Tinch) as pastor of the church took advantage of the relationship and violated the confidence of (the congregation) and misrepresented, concealed and misled (the church) to obtain money to pay for property and obligations of (Tinch) from (church) funds," the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit, filed this week, contends the church not only lost the pilfered funds but also has incurred costs to uncover the alleged embezzlement.
"The ... intentional fraudulent conversion of (church) funds has caused (the church) to suffer damages in excess of $400,000," the lawsuit alleges. "This amount represents the loss of funds, loss of profits for non-use and expenses in calculating damages, including accounting fees, attorney fees and interest."
The church is seeking $500,000 in compensatory damages and another $500,000 in punitive damages and any "rents or profit" Tinch earned from unspecified property the lawsuit alleges he bought with stolen church loot.
The lawsuit also seeks the forfeiture of any assets "obtained by fraud by" Tinch.

Man charged with stealing weekly church offering in Elizabeth, Tennessee

A man charged with stealing the weekly offering at Lynn Valley Baptist Church has waived his right to a preliminary hearing and was bound over to a Carter County grand jury Friday. Cody Bowling, 23, 267 Blevins Hollow Road, was also bound over on several other burglaries, some of them in his Blevins Hollow neighborhood and one going back to 2007.
Bowling is accused of taking $3,419 in cash and checks from the Jan. 10 offering of the Lynn Valley congregation. The burglary was discovered Jan. 11. Two laptop computers were also stolen. Five doors and a safe were also damaged in the burglary.
Bowling was arrested Jan. 12 when Sgt. Brian Durham and Deputy Dean Jones of the Carter County Sheriff’s Department responded to another church burglary in progress, this one at Dungan Chapel Baptist Church. When the deputies responded, they found a blue Suzuki car in the church parking lot.
The officers entered the church through an open door and found several rooms had been ransacked. Jones found a door that was locked from the other side and that had no keyhole. He ordered anyone in the locked room to come out. They said Bowling then opened the door and came out.
A pair of bolt cutters and a pry bar were found in the room, police said. Bowling was arrested and his car was inventoried. During the inventory, the officers found a pill and some drug paraphernalia, including a syringe. A Verizon/Visa $50 rebate card assigned to Kelly Salinas was found in the console. Salinas, a resident of Blevins Hollow, reported the burglary of her residence Dec. 7. She said a file was taken that included the rebate card. She said a Peavey amplifier had also been stolen. The officers said they found the amplifier in the trunk of Bowling’s car.
Also found in the car was a Kodak camera, which was identified as being stolen in one of three New Year’s Eve burglaries committed two weeks earlier at an apartment building at 1294 Bluefield Ave.
On Jan. 14, Capt. Rocky Croy and Investigator Jan Black of the Carter County Sheriff’s Department interviewed Bowling. They reported he confessed to the Lynn Valley Baptist burglary and gave consent to search his residence.
The investigators reported the search uncovered evidence from several other burglaries, including several in the Blevins Hollow area, the Bluefield Avenue burglaries and one burglary that goes back to March 27, 2007.
The evidence from the 2007 burglary was a black Sentry safe that had been reported stolen from the residence of Ruth Lewis on Dan Berry Hill Road. The safe still had Lewis’ name on it and a box inside that had her phone number. An investigator called the number and when Lewis answered, he identified himself and asked her if she had been the victim of any burglaries. She told him she had a small safe, cash and checks and two rings stolen.
Investigators also found a BB&T bank bag full of receipts that belonged to Rizk Baltaji and contained the name Rico’s Pizza, which is near Blevins Hollow and was hit by a burglar Nov. 8.
Evidence from another Nov. 8 burglary was also found at Bowling’s home. A bottle of prescription medicine had the name of a victim at 295 Blevins Hollow Road. Also found were three boxes of insulin syringes and a gas can with a unique tap. The gas can had been taken from 295 Blevins Hollow Road during an earlier burglary Sept. 28.
Items not recovered from the burglaries included several guns, a 32-inch flat screen Panasonic television and $6,700 in cash.
Elizabethton investigators said they learned that a PlayStation 3 game console taken from one of the Bluefield Avenue burglaries had been sold by Bowling at New Trade, 1342 Milligan Highway.

MADISON COUNTY, TENNESSEE CHURCH LEADER SUSPECTED OF EMBEZZLEMENT

A Madison County church's leader is behind bars, accused of stealing from the congregation. Perry Mullins, 48, faces theft of property over $60,000 charges after Madison County deputies said he used the Liberty Grove Baptist Church's credit cards.
According to Madison County sheriff David Woolfork, Mullins served as the church business manager for the past two years. "It appears Mr. Mullins was in a position of trust. I believe he was a youth minister and just performed various duties throughout the church," said Woolfork.
Investigators said when questioned, Mullins admitted to charging more than $60,000 on the credit cards. According to those card records, $135,000 of unauthorized purchases were on the account.
Sheriff Woolfork believes Mullins used the credit card for personal use. "He was paying bills and that sort of thing," said Woolfork.
Mullins does not have a criminal history of embezzlement or theft. "He seemed to be very remorseful for his actions," said Woolfork.
Attempts to contact the church's minister Shannon Moses were unsuccessful. Mullins will appear in Madison County general sessions court on January 5, 2010.