The pastor at the time, Stephen Williams, stated that a former church secretary, then Melanie Ann Land, was embezzling money from the church by unauthorized purchases made with church credit cards — things like personal items for her home as well as vacations.
A forensic accountant hired by the church provided the detective documentation of her forensic audit of the church’s financial records.
Her investigation revealed unauthorized charges on three separate credit cards.
The total amount embezzled from Belmont Baptist Church was $212,008.09.
After a lengthy investigation, Land, now going by Melanie Ann Temple, 40, was arrested by Calhoun Police Department alongside her husband, Chad Lamar Temple, 38, on Jan. 31. Both individuals are charged with a lengthy list of financial crimes.
Melanie Temple is charged with 60 counts of criminal receipt of goods, 138 counts of criminal receipt of goods or services fraudulently obtained, 198 counts of financial transaction card fraud, and one count each of financial transaction card theft and theft by deception. All of those charges are felonies.
Chad Temple was charged with 198 counts of criminal receipt of goods or services fraudulently obtained, 198 counts of financial transaction card fraud, one count each of financial transaction card theft and theft by deception, and probation violation for a prior sale of methamphetamine charge.
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