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Compton Pastor Arrested for Stealing $800,000
Date: Tuesday, August 25, 2009, 2:30 pm
By: EURweb.com
The pastor of church in Compton, California has been charged with stealing $800,000 from the church he leads.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Rev. E. Joshua Sims, pastor of Double Rock Baptist Church in Compton, was taken into custody last week at his home in Corona after a lengthy investigation by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.
According to court records, Sims diverted church funds into a personal account between March 2000 and September 2008. Authorities told the Times <span style="font-weight: bold">when church members questioned Sims about his finances, Sims allegedly threatened them during his sermons.</span>
The Compton Bulletin reported last year that Sims stunned members of his congregation when he revealed at a meeting in September that he took thousands of dollars a month in "household allowances" without first obtaining the approval of the church’s board. Sims was also said to have told those gathered that more than $1 million was missing from church coffers.
Sims, who has served as pastor since 1998, is scheduled for arraignment next week on charges of grand theft by embezzlement, money laundering and witness intimidation. Bail could be set at $1.2 million.
Date: Tuesday, August 25, 2009, 2:30 pm
By: EURweb.com
The pastor of church in Compton, California has been charged with stealing $800,000 from the church he leads.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Rev. E. Joshua Sims, pastor of Double Rock Baptist Church in Compton, was taken into custody last week at his home in Corona after a lengthy investigation by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.
According to court records, Sims diverted church funds into a personal account between March 2000 and September 2008. Authorities told the Times <span style="font-weight: bold">when church members questioned Sims about his finances, Sims allegedly threatened them during his sermons.</span>
The Compton Bulletin reported last year that Sims stunned members of his congregation when he revealed at a meeting in September that he took thousands of dollars a month in "household allowances" without first obtaining the approval of the church’s board. Sims was also said to have told those gathered that more than $1 million was missing from church coffers.
Sims, who has served as pastor since 1998, is scheduled for arraignment next week on charges of grand theft by embezzlement, money laundering and witness intimidation. Bail could be set at $1.2 million.
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