White-Collar Pastor Accused of Embezzlement
The Press Enterprise, pe.com, recently ran an article that talked about a pastor that has been accused of embezzlement and money laundering. The Compton-area pastor pled not guilty to both counts. The Double Rock Baptist Church has accused the former pastor of diverting funds from church bank accounts and using the funds for personal projects in his Corona home. If convicted, the pastor could face more than seven years in prison.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating the preacher for some time now, even searching his home in 2008 and confiscating financial records that may have aided in securing his arrest. After the search, members of the church were threatened not to cooperate with the investigation at the risk of being barred from the church. While evidence collected and witness testimony will more than likely procure a conviction against the pastor, not all cases of white-collar crime in Los Angeles are as clear cut.
The trust given to those in charge of finances is tremendous. However, just because a person has access to funding does not mean that the person is going to, or already has, embezzled it.
Often times, white-collar crime can simply be one person’s word against another’s. Unless documentation exists that can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that embezzlement or some other form of fraud took place, then those accused of white-collar crimes cannot be termed guilty until having been convicted by a jury of their peers in a court of law.
If you are accused of a white-collar crime, it is essential to remember that your good name does not have to be dragged through the mud. At The Law Office of Lawrence Wolf, our skilled criminal defense lawyers will examine the details of your arrest, and will ensure that we provide you with the strongest possible defense given the circumstances of your white-collar crimes case. Call us today at 866-390-7373 for a free consultation, and we will make sure that your rights are upheld in a court of law.
Source article: http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_W_wpastor21.481866f.html
