ALAPAHA, Ga. — A woman who was a bookkeeper for a Georgia church has learned her fate as she was convicted of wire fraud.
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In October 2024, Judith Alane Chavis, 58, of Sorrento, Fla., pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud in connection with a disaster benefit and 10 counts of money laundering.
According to court documents, from 2018 until August 2022, Chavis was a volunteer bookkeeper for the Glory Church of Alapaha and its charity, the Peanut Butter and Jesus Outreach (PB&J).
She was allowed to write checks and the church and charity’s bank statements were only sent to her.
Officials said between August 2020 and March 2022, Chavis applied and was granted $163,500 of Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the U.S. Small Business Administration on behalf of the Church and PB&J without the Church’s or PB&J’s permission and using the church’s letterhead.
Authorities said Chavis also lied about being the treasurer to get money, signing the letter herself.
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On March 7, 2022, Chavis submitted a signed certification stating members of the church’s finance committee approved the second revision of the loan, but no approval occurred, officials said.
The SBA granted the requests and deposited $15,000 in the church’s account. The Middle District of Georgia Attorney’s Office said Chavis transferred almost all of the EIDL and advance funds from the church’s and PB&J’s accounts, totaling $173,500, to her checking account.
The DA said she used the money for personal expenses, including travel and large purchases.
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“Individuals who use places of worship and charitable organizations for their fraud and theft will be rooted out and face consequences for their criminal actions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker.
On Wednesday, a judge sentenced Chavis to serve 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release and $173,500 in restitution.
“Chavis betrayed the confidence the church had placed in her by misappropriating funds intended to support its mission,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We hope that this federal prison sentence offers some measure of closure to the church and its congregation and serves as a warning to others who might exploit the trust of faith-based or charitable institutions for personal enrichment.”
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