UPDATED: Former church bookkeeper booked in $300K+ theft

A former bookkeeper at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Crestview was arrested Tuesday on multiple charges stemming from an investigation into the alleged theft of more than $300,000 over a period of several years.

Jeana Michelle Adams, 37, of Cahokia Run in Crestview, was booked at the Okaloosa County Jail Tuesday evening on felony larceny charges of grand theft, forgery/ altering a public record, passing an altered financial instrument, and racketeering.

A parishioner who wished to remain anonymous stated that the church, located east of Crestview on James Lee Boulevard, has been investigating the thefts for “several months,” and said the whereabouts of the money is as yet unknown.

According to Adams’ arrest report, church officials discovered the alleged thefts in late 2009. “Church personnel uncovered documents which…supported indications that the defendant had been transferring a large amount of church funds from the church checking accounts into her personal credit card accounts through computer electronic means,” the report states.

Further investigation revealed that since the start of her employment with the church in April 2003, Adams had written “numerous” church checks payable to herself, forging the signatures of the church financial officers, then depositing them in her personal bank accounts. “The defendant wrote the checks out to herself as payment of church housing, which she was not entitled to,” the report states.

According to the report, Adams “could not explain why she wrote the checks out to herself for housing because she was not entitled to receive money for church housing,” but later “she realized she took money from the church in excess of what she was entitled to, and offered to pay any money which she owed back to the church in order to avoid being prosecuted.”

Investigation by church officials and Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office investigators determined that Adams wrote 119 checks to herself, according to her arrest report, forging church officials’ signatures on 113 of them.

In all, Adams reportedly wrote checks to herself totaling $157,813.27. In addition, electronic transfers Adams allegedly made from the church accounts to her personal credit card accounts totaled $158,803, for a total of $316,616.27.

The church's interim pastor, Ian Anderson, stated in a written statement, "This has been a challenging time for Emmanuel Baptist Church. We are deeply saddened by what has occurred. Emmanuel Baptist Church is choosing not to allow these circumstances take our focus off of Jesus Christ and what He is doing through our church. We remain committed to His service."

Anderson's statement said the church would refrain from further comment "pending the prosecution of this case."

In addition to the charges of grand theft, forging and passing altered checks, Adams was charged with racketeering because she “was involved in numerous predicate crimes required to charge said statute….The criminal conduct was organized throughout, and conducted in a pattern which justifies the additional charge of racketeering,” the report states.

Arrested Tuesday evening at 7:30, Adams was released from the Okaloosa County Jail yesterday at 1:36 p.m. She faces a March 16 court date.