Church pastor arrested for allegedly embezzling $800,000
From the District Attorney's Office:
COMPTON - The pastor of the Double Rock Baptist Church in Compton was arrested today on charges he embezzled more than $800,000 from the church.
Eugene Joshua Sims, 47 (dob 10-3-61), was arrested by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department detectives. He is being held on $1.2 million bail.
Deputy District Attorney Tracey Stevens said Sims allegedly set up a private bank account and diverted offerings that members gave to the church into his private account. The alleged embezzlement occurred between March 1, 2000 and Sept. 30, 2008. When church members raised questions, he allegedly threatened members not to say anything in sermons.
The felony complaint for arrest warrant, filed Tuesday, charges Sims with one felony count each of grand theft by embezzlement, dissuading a witness and money laundering. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in state prison.
Sims is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday at Compton Superior Court, Department 12 in case TA107904.
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Wow this it sad If Holmes wanted the Church back then be a man and Say Sims I want the Church back. Pastor Sims you are a good man and you will get your name back. Joe Holmes will always keep his name a CONVICT I hope he does LIFE for this.He he a CROOK and will always be.
How can you say that Joe Holmes is a crook? What does joe have to do with Eugene Sims allegely embezzeling $800,000? September 14 was not brought up by Joe Holmes it was announced by to congregation by Eugene Sims? He was given a chance to leave and organize a church or face the possibilities of going to jail and he choose the second opition. What does Joe have to do with any of this?
What's done in the dark will always ... always come out in the light!
You just can't do stuff all out in the open and expect people not to say anything. How many MBs do you have Mr. Across The Highway?
The LASD would not arrest and arrange someone that is innocent. Unless Joe Holmes works for them too ...
Wow! Religion seems to be very lucrative industry. The problem is most if not all of them want to be established as non-profit organization/corporation with 501(c) (3) tax exemptions. If I were to start a church, I would take a different approach. I would establish it as a Private for-profit corporation where I would be the CEO, treasurer, and other officers of the board as well controlling 100% of the stock. I would then charge a membership upfront and pay taxes on all fees and donations given to the church. The biblical message would be authentic to the bible (love God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul, and love others as you love yourself) and no one could call me a fraud, or embezzler because they knew up front what they were getting into.
Although, the narrative of Jesus and the Money changers told in Mark 11:15–19, 11:27–33, Matthew 21:12–17, 21:23–27, Luke 19:45–48, 20:1–8 and John 2:12–25) would have to be forbidden from the sermon because that would not be good for business. The pastor would have to emphasize in every teaching the importance of tithing and the donation of gift offerings to the church like Malachi 3:8.
Perhaps, I could even utilized some related diversification by establishing other religious departments that set up Buddhist monasteries, Jewish Synagogues, Muslim Mosques, Mormon Churches, and Hindu temples to maximize profits. Yes I could capitalized on all religions by putting them under the same corporation but filing a fictitious business statement so each institution could do business as a different name. In addition, I could then franchise my religious establishments out to pastors who would like to manage their own institution as long as they pay the franchise fee of course. Oh my God, what a wonderful business plan. I'll be sure to present this in my next term paper for my MBA degree, maybe even submit a thesis on it.