She was the trusted church secretary who embezzled approximately $600,000 during her 6-year luxury spending spree. >> Uh probably approximately $300,000. But she maxed out the credit card like twice in 2024. >> Cots were called after two new financial committee members discovered hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal charges on a church credit card. >> Shall we stand or stand cuz We can We can sit here but I know you have all the stuff on so >> Whatever. We're ready to go. I'm It's fine. Wherever you need us. >> We don't totally fit in the chairs very well so >> Yeah, standing is actually kind of easier on >> Yeah, I get it. That's uh >> Okay. >> Um >> How you doing? I'm Carey. >> Hi. >> Kenji. >> Henry. >> How you doing, man? Nice to meet >> Um [snorts] >> Yeah, there's some ladies down there working on stuff. >> So Carey is the >> the chairman of our trustees. >> Okay. >> So he is kind of the legal officer of the church. And I'm one of the pastors. Um and so you know, that we wanted to make the report today with you guys to get the ball rolling. >> Okay. >> can get turned over to detectives and all that stuff. So So kind of the the moment we knew exactly what was happening would have been October 29th. Uh we were able to obtain some bank information, credit card receipts >> Okay. >> that showed that our financial secretary or the credit card issued to our financial secretary was being used for personal charges. >> Okay. >> Um >> [snorts] >> cruises, airfare, all sorts of stuff. Um they were definitely not church-related business. >> Mhm. >> We confronted her about that. She admitted to having made the charges and to also having done like electronic transfers um that were not church-related. >> Okay. >> And um so in that discussion with her she put a ballpark at probably approximately $300,000 >> over the course of [snorts] since 2019. >> She admitted what? >> Or she admitted >> Yes. Those are the numbers she gave us. >> Since 20 when? >> 19. We have been trying to get bank records and stuff. We don't have all of those yet. And so I know there's going to be a lot to slog through with detectives of looking at all, you know, putting all the pieces into place. But we just need to get this first part started to to be able to move forward with that. That's kind of >> Well, allow me to interject and as we move forward, what I got to say is, man, if this isn't a crime of moral turpitude, I don't know what it is. And I understand we have bounties that are very violent. You're assaults, you know, murders, uh mayhem, etc., etc. But this right here, uh this is definitely got to touch you because it is the church. And 300,000, I don't know. Look, that's what she says. You have a self-admission. Uh you're probably going to end up getting a confession, but I don't know, man. I'm going to call BS and think that there's probably more because you always want to lowball it. Kind of like with DUIs, I only had two drinks, you know. I don't know. We'll see. >> 2019. We just get some stuff down here or whatever. Uh I apologize. I don't have all of that. >> What's her name? What's her name? What's her name? >> her I think I found her in my phone. >> Okay. >> She was terminated as of the 31st of October in that discussion and she admitted to what she did. >> How far back do you guys have financial records to as of right now? >> I know we had into 20 23. Well, yeah, the credit card that we first saw was from 20 23. >> Okay. >> Starting like December 2023 going in Yeah, up to current. >> Was it multiple credit cards? Was it just the one? >> Just the one that we Yeah, that was issued to her. We don't She says she didn't use any others. We We haven't seen anything on any others. >> Mhm. >> Um there are lots of other credit cards for church, but that's the one that we know of. >> [snorts] >> Okay. Did y'all lock that credit card down or close that account all together? >> Well, what had happened, so if you want the whole back story, kind of our guys that were over finance both passed away at the end of 2023. >> Mhm. So we got new people over finance and so Karen who's over finance was pushing to get access to all this stuff because she wasn't on all the accounts and everything. She was pushing and then we were also looking at moving to a new bank because just things were not you know things were working right. Well, in the process of all that the bank actually canceled all of our credit cards. Yeah, so we didn't have to cancel them. They had actually which is kind of done a snap rule on their part and canceled all of our credit cards. And so really so there wasn't ongoing as in like up to the last few weeks. It had been a month or two before that that the last charges were made just because they had canceled the card. >> Okay. >> And so we had gotten new cards but she hadn't gotten all of those yet. And when the year started she had moved into kind of a part-time remote status more and so we that was kind of a struggle getting records from her and everything and so she was getting back on her feet which is >> When you talk to them see if they can get something that shows is each is each card that's issued have a a different number to it? Does that make sense? >> Yeah, I think >> And do you have something do you have something on file that shows which card is issued to which person? >> Um it has our names on it. So like so >> My yeah my my point being is tying that particular card to her. >> Yeah, I know. So I have a copy of a statement of kind of her summary statement. We got power company, we got also walmart.com, Amazon all those kind of things but like insurance payments all that stuff. And she admitted that all of those were personal purchases. >> Can I see [snorts] this? >> Yeah, absolutely. >> Is what's highlighted what's >> Um I think the highlight that's where she paid down the balance. So she's racking up charges and then she's paying >> to cover it up. >> She's using church money to pay that off. >> Do we know what's paid on here that's supposed to be for the church? >> Our head of finance has done more of that. They broke it down by who each payment was for. Like Adobe, like we'll say okay, that's the church card. You know, that's a something we actually use for >> yeah, when you all expenses. >> Um that's once a month for $20. >> Okay. >> But she maxed out the credit card like twice in 2024. >> Yeah, okay. >> Thousands of dollars. Yeah. Carnival? Not us. You know, uh >> You guys You guys You guys are the Princess Cruise Line level. >> [laughter] >> So, celebrity. And and even you can see where some of her transactions are in different places. So, when she went to like part-time with us, she took a job somewhere else. So, her job taking her to like Colorado, well, there's charges in Colorado. >> Man, the audacity to grab the church's credit card and just rack that up, right? Look, about the only thing that I can add to the great job that these uh deputies are doing is, you know what? Let's get these financial crime uh investigators, these detectives. And you got to have a a certain niche, right? A certain craft and experience as detectives to gather all this information and perhaps maybe they are on duty in which they can actually respond and take care of this whole matter from the beginning even though you're asking all the basic questions, you're going to go ahead and do uh you know, the crime report and pawn that off and hand it to the detectives to take over, okay? >> Yeah. >> They're well versed with credit cards. >> So, some homework. Whenever you get the statements, this is going to be a lot of homework and I hate it, but if you all can mark what is authorized >> Mhm. >> and what is not authorized, that will make it easier on us. And honestly, if if we have all of that, especially if we have something that ties her name to the card to the charges, >> Yeah. >> um we don't even have to go through detectives. >> Yeah, it's easier on them. We can handle it. >> We'll We'll just We'll cut a warrant for her and then be done. >> Uh, let me interject right here. You know what? That is even better. The fact that you don't have to uh take the time of the detectives if you can just get a warrant and uh go and get her. The arrest warrant uh that pretty much ties her into the probable cause that they have articulable facts to believe with all this evidence that she was the one that committed all these uh fraudulent credit card transactions. >> All right. >> On the top there is the case number. I have both of our names and ID numbers on there. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> So, that key card is specific to me, so mine's printed on there and not Jonathan's on there. >> All right. >> Three or four units of 10-97. Go knock on the door. We're looking for Melissa. >> Hey, how you doing, sir? Are you the owner of this house? >> It's my son-in-law. Him and his wife are inside. They have a baby sleeping. >> Hi. >> Hey, how you doing? Uh, we're looking for a Melissa. >> For? >> She's got a warrant out of Nassau County. >> Okay. >> She here? >> Um >> She just needs to see a judge. >> That's it. >> She's been on the phone with the guy from >> Yeah, she already has a thing scheduled for tomorrow morning. >> They're meeting at 9:00 a.m. There's been a detective from Nassau County. >> The lead detective on the case. >> And they called us to get get a hold of her. >> Yeah, that's fine. >> She's already got a hold of them. >> Yeah. >> Can y'all call and confirm that, please? >> They called us to come and get her. >> at >> Y'all want They want y'all to take her? >> That's correct. >> Can I ask when this happened? >> It happened uh 20 minutes ago. >> Okay. Are y'all able to call the lead investigator? >> We We have a warrant signed by a judge. We have to take her in. Otherwise, I can't provide for my family. >> No, no, no, I'm >> No, no, no. >> You know what I'm saying? >> Yeah. >> No, I'm just trying to understand what's happening. >> Let me um >> Well, allow me to make you understand more about what's happening. I mean, how much of an explanation do you need besides the fact that I get the sense that there's a little bit of entitlement, not really being dismissive. Uh I I I I bet he's the husband, and the husband's like, you know, I'm a little surprised, but look, if there's an arrest warrant that is happening right here right now, we have to affect that arrest. It's really that simple. >> She's going to have to go. I mean, it is her home. >> Okay, I'm just confused why he said he was going to handle it. >> I don't know how this works. Does that make sense? I mean, look at me now. >> she's going to have to go to our our our sheriff's office. She'll get transferred to Nassau County tomorrow. >> Okay. >> She'll see a judge. She'll talk to the investigator. The investigator might come to us, but they're requesting us to come get pick her up. Said that she was here. >> All right. >> I just I guess I know >> Can y'all walk with me? >> Well, hold on. I just have a question real quick. Is that okay? >> Okay. >> Okay. If they said, "Hey, you can turn yourself in at this time." why is it no longer being abided by? Does that make sense? >> That is weird. >> You You got to You got to imagine so many people have told us, "Hey, we're not going to We're We'll meet you there tomorrow." and they're in Tallahassee going west on I-10. >> Can I handle it? >> Yeah, I got >> Yeah. >> All right. >> No, just go with me. Well, no, no, no. They can stay here. You go handle it. >> What? Y'all Y'all come on. >> No, no, no. Hold on. I have to This is This is my husband's property. Can I just talk to him real quick, please? This That back house is not ours. >> Where Where is she? >> She's just outside. I can >> She just ran inside when the cop came out. >> was me. That was me. This is my house. >> Okay. >> And when I see cops pull up, it's a bit >> 3:10. >> Oh. Hi. >> Hello. >> Hello. >> in here. >> Is he back there? >> Yeah, they're going He already told them that he's going to handle it. >> Excellent hangout spot. >> Yeah, it's not bad. >> The door is going to shut. I can't keep it open. >> Okay. Is there another door in the back? >> There's not. >> Okay. >> We can go out the back door. We can go out the back. >> That's all I got. Right. This is in line. This one here in line. I need your phone. I need your phone number so the attorney and the bail bondsman Once you have your ID on you, we can change it. >> Why did they say I could just come in in the morning? >> So 27 in order. Well, they asked for us to come pick you up. You got to imagine from our our perspective, so many people lie to us and say, "Hey, there we'll be there tomorrow." and then they abscond and they go somewhere else. >> Like and I don't know if we can or not. Can we y'all follow or whatever? Can we take her to Nassau now so there's not a transport deal? >> No. She can If she was going to bond out tomorrow, is tomorrow the day that she could still bond out with us? >> Do I need to let the bail bondsman know that I'm now in Baker County? >> Can you Can she find a bondsman, please? So what? >> We appreciate you guys helping us out and >> Yeah. >> We'll We'll help out as much as possible, but there's only so much we can do. So >> I feel like once we get to Nassau County, I've never been in any kind of trouble, so Okay. So this is the bail bondsman. That's his >> Okay. So again, there there's a bond set on the warrant. So anytime you have a bond set on a warrant, whether you go to that jurisdiction or another, you can still bond out on that warrant. Okay? I'm not saying that you have to sit in jail all night long. It all depends on if you come up with the bond and the bondsman and you whatever the case may be. Okay? So it's not necessarily that you're going to get transported to Nassau County. You could get out within a few hours. You may not even change your clothes if your bondsman gets here fast enough with the bond. Okay? >> You need to call them and let them know >> [clears throat] >> that you're going there. >> So, him going >> While while we're waiting, if you need to make a phone call, we're we're confirming the [snorts] extradition. >> Okay. Thank y'all. Seriously, you really don't understand. >> I told you, any way we can help, we can do. However, we just can't leave the property. >> Got it. Thank you. >> [clears throat] >> And if you remain cool, calm, and collected, we won't cuff you up and all that sort of Especially in in front of kids, we try not to do that. Unless Unless you make us. >> Three year old, one year old, and um eight year old knows a lot. >> I'm not going to push the uh BS button, but my thinking is this is like first-degree moral turpitude kind of crime. I mean, come on, man. Credit card from the church? Carnival Cruise Line and all this other stuff? No. Put your hands behind your back. You're under arrest uh for uh embezzlement, first-degree felony. >> Honestly. >> Okay, well, hold on. If there's How is there a bond if she hasn't went to court? >> They still They still preset bonds. >> It's a preset bond. >> Yeah, it all depends on the charges and >> depends on the charges you get. >> Or was a bond set by Judge at the time of the >> a bond set by the judge at the time that this all happened. Does she think arguing's helping anything right now? >> No, she's just confused. She said well, she had a thing for tomorrow, and I said, I know, but it doesn't matter. >> We do understand that. However, if we get a call when we make contact with the individual has the warrant, we can't walk away. That's That's the only thing. >> That That's what I was going to say. Hey. >> When we They told us it wasn't like she has a meeting at 9:00 a.m. just want to confirm. It was you're potentially here, please go check. >> The Facebook thing is crazy. Like if we were like literally like Bonnie and Clyde, wouldn't we have seen the Facebook thing and then just hauled ass? Like we would have gotten caught. >> I got them all here. >> But like wouldn't you have just showed up at her house and taken this taken her to jail? Like you knew her address. You knew where she lived. Like the Facebook thing is crazy. >> Yeah, I don't >> I don't know. >> And no one contacted me like >> But so there was like on the sheriff's office page they they put on wanted thing out. >> That's That's how I found out. >> As all sheriff's offices should do. Yeah, put out a bolo. We call that a bolo, b o l o, be on the lookout, right? For her arrest. I mean, come on. You're talking to over six well, approximately $600,000 spending spree. That's not just like cashing in a check, you know, remember back in LEPD, we've done these credit card frauds, but it was at a check cashing place, you know, a couple hundred, maybe a thousand. But this this is a whole 'nother level. Come on, man. >> Yeah, I I got on Facebook just hanging out here with her earlier and saw my face on a wanted poster. And like so I called the number and said >> thing. So we've been here for like >> can't come here. >> People have been at our house. >> Right, but they're taking pictures of my house. >> But you could have So we live in Camden >> I live in Camden County. >> So like they couldn't have called the sheriff's office in Camden County and just said, "Here's where she lives." >> They could have. >> That's part The Facebook thing is crazy. >> They probably they probably Camden probably could have already been out to your house. I don't we don't know. >> I mean, I was there until when I came here, but but the crazy thing is now all these crazy people think they're going to get a $3,000 reward cuz I'm on the run or something. And they're like sending pictures of my house like on all these random race pages and stuff. Like I have children. Nobody thinks about that. Like I'm not some horrible evil person that deserves to be like witch mauled, you know, like >> Wow, witch mauled. I'mma call BS. Uh you went from Nassau County in the wonderful state of Florida to I believe uh Colorado. That's like I mean, from the East Coast to the West Coast. And you're wanted. It >> But it says right here that I'm wanted. >> Uh I can only speak about like what we do for Baker, and usually what we do anything on our Facebook, it's usually reaching out to try to identify somebody. We don't We don't >> It posted it said wanted like it said wanted wanted and not just wanted. It says wanted wanted. How about I contact you first? I would have gladly come in rather than have this. >> Um do you still have your ID on you? >> I do. It's in my pocket. >> That's the only thing. You'll just have to leave the chapstick. Just out of the reach of the kids. >> Um and you'll go and I'll step here out. >> Go ahead and turn around for >> Uh you're good. You're good. >> So I won't have your phone with me at the police station? >> Let her have a seat. We're good. >> All right. We're good. >> We're good. >> Just please stay on the bottom bunk. >> I will. >> Is it my text okay? >> Okay. >> 100% 10,000 10% Can I go through real quick? >> Yeah. You want to keep your thumb ring? >> Yes. I don't know if I can get it off. Do I have to take it off when I get there? >> Yeah, if you can take it off, it'd be better. >> I love you. Just don't worry, okay? I'm working as fast as I can. Thank you. I got to get this out everything. >> Everything's out. >> Okay. Love you. >> Love you. >> All right. Just a quick ride, okay? >> Okay, final thoughts. Uh first and foremost, uh big shout out to Nassau County uh Sheriff's Office for uh issuing that arrest warrant and then getting a hold of Baker's County uh to go ahead and execute that warrant. Look, there's not really much lessons learned here, but the biggest lesson of them all is uh I heard this saying a long, long time ago, back in the '80s. I think it's uh uh if you do the crime, you pay the time. It's really that simple. Own your consequences, right? And be held accountable for your actions. Hope you learned something. Okay, so she was charged with grand theft over $1,000, which is a first-degree felony. She pleaded not guilty. The case is still pending. However, the judge ordered her to pay $20,000 in restitution to the church within 60 days with more restitution possibly later. No final conviction or sentence has been reported yet. Okay, so click the like and the notification bell. Don't forget to subscribe. Please comment below. Why? Because we want to hear from you. Look, if you want deeper conversations on police topics, go check out my podcast, The Maron Maracci Show, okay? And if you like to be informed and educated about officer-involved shootings, pursuits, and other use-of-force incidents, come join me at The Maron Report Critical Incident YouTube channel, okay? Thanks for watching and we will see you on the next one.