Previous finance supervisor bilks $1.3 million from Fellowship Christian Church
The theft occurred from December 2008 by means of April 2019, the indictment explained.
GRAPEVINE, Texas — A former finance manager at a single of the most important church buildings in Texas – Fellowship Christian Church in Grapevine – pleaded guilty to theft, diverting much more than $1.3 million to herself, according to court docket and police information.
Lara Lynn Ford, 51, was sentenced to 10 yrs in prison, in accordance to Tarrant County courtroom documents. However, she may well apply for shock probation, which could suspend her prison sentence for theft, court docket records indicated.
An audit of the church’s banking accounts observed Ford bilked $1,377,000, in accordance to a Grapevine Law enforcement offense report.
The theft happened from December 2008 through April 2019, her indictment stated.
When questioned by law enforcement why she fully commited the theft, she responded: “Umm, silly,” the police report said.
She also instructed police she had a expending dilemma, the report reported, and would “buy points she does not need to have and would enable people today.”
Ford informed law enforcement she commenced thieving from Fellowship Christian by getting money from the supplying, then graduated to building fraudulent lender transfers to 3 personal examining accounts, the report mentioned.
The church has obtained $750,000 in insurance policies promises thanks to the theft, according to the Tarrant County DA.
The investigation into the theft was triggered when Fellowship Christian CFO Dennis Brewer identified “discrepancies with some transactions” in April 2019, according to the law enforcement report.
Ford tapped into a housing allowance account applied by the church to supplement employee foundation pay. Documents clearly show Ford increased her pay an further $200 each two weeks from the housing allowance account. Then, in January 2019, Ford improved her fork out an more $500 every single two months out of the housing allowance, the police report claimed.
Brewer informed police he to start with commenced questioning “shortages” in church accounts and demoted Ford as finance manager in 2018, but she however remained in the accounting department with obtain to the housing allowance account, the police report stated.
Ford started performing at Fellowship Church in 2005, and experienced no prior legal record.
The theft also comes although Fellowship Christian Church has acquired two authorities PPP loans of $1.5 million in April 2020, and an additional $1.5 million March 2021.
WFAA has attained out to Fellowship Church and the law firm of Ford for comment.