Church worker accused of theft

Church worker accused of stealing $80,000
Austin (TX) American Statesman
May 15, 2008

Killeen police have arrested a woman who they say stole more than $80,000 from a church where she worked as an administrative assistant.

On Wednesday, a Bell County grand jury indicted Paula Cecil on a charge of misapplication of fiduciary funds, a Killeen police news release said. Bail was set at $100,000.

In early January, officials at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church called police after they were notified by their bank that numerous checks had been paid to a church employee, police said. After an audit, officials discovered that Cecil had used church money for her personal use starting in August, police said.

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Grand jury indicts woman in case of church embezzlement
by Paul A. Romer
Temple (TX) Telegram
May 15, 2008

BELTON - A Bell County grand jury indicted a 40-year-old woman Wednesday on charges related to the embezzlement of more than $60,000 from St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Killeen.

Charlene Smith, parish administrator at St. Christopher’s, said the woman listed in the indictment, Paula Cecil, was a former administrative assistant at the church who was fired in January.

The two-count indictment alleges that from April 2007 until January 2008 Ms. Cecil cashed or deposited 95 checks from the church ranging from $20 to $1,480.

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$80,000 Stolen From Central Texas Church

(May 14, 2008)—The Bell County Grand Jury Wednesday indicted Paula Cecil of Fort Hood in connection with the theft of more than $80,000 from St Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Killeen.

Killeen police have been investigating the theft since Jan. 9, when church officials reported a discrepancy in financial records.

Police were called after Extraco Bank advised the church that a number of checks had been paid to the same church employee over a period of about five months.

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Former church worker indicted
By Justin Cox
Killeen (TX) Daily Herald
May 15, 2008

Even churches have to be careful about who they trust these days.

It's hard to blame them, especially after a former employee of St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in Killeen was indicted Wednesday on felony charges of fraud and theft. She is accused of embezzling more than $80,000 of the church's money and taking it for herself.

A Bell County grand jury indicted 40-year-old Paula Cecil, of Fort Hood, on two counts of misapplication of fiduciary property, more than $20,000 but less than $100,000, for an alleged scheme in which she wrote out checks to herself over a period between April 16, 2007, and Jan. 7 of this year.

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