Michigan Pastor Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $285,000
A former Michigan pastor has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $285,000 from his church over a six-year period.
Douglas Hammond, 67, who took the money when he was pastor of Olivet Assembly of God Church, pleaded guilty in Eaton County to one count of embezzlement over $100,000, the Lansing State Journal reported.
The theft took place between January 2014 and November 2019.
Carter said he was not at liberty to say why Hammond took the money, but said the former pastor is unlikely to make any court-ordered restitution to the church because he is currently living in poverty. He said Hammond pleaded guilty because he “wanted to do what was right.”
Carter also said there were “a lot of special circumstances” with the case.
Hammond’s sentencing has been postponed until June 9, 2022, because of concerns about his health, the Journal reported.
“He understands that he has disappointed his family and the church on so many different levels. He hopes that his family and church can one day forgive him as he seeks forgiveness with a repentant heart,” Carter told WSYM-TV.
The church declined to comment on the case.
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