Sisters Accused of Stealing Almost $100K from Church Sentenced

A settlement allowed the sisters to waive five years of prison if they took probation and had good behavior

A Minnesota court has sentenced two sisters to five years in prison for embezzling nearly $100,000 over a five-year period. But the sentence comes with stipulations and opportunities for a reduction.

MinistryWatch reported last year that sisters Debra Hamborg of Sunburg, Minnesota, and Annette Dingmann of Benson, Minnesota, were charged with embezzling almost $100,000 from a church and local township.

At the time of her arrest, Hamborg was the township treasurer and bookkeeper for Sunburg Free Lutheran. She said her church services were unpaid, and the township treasurer position only paid $300 monthly and $50 per meeting.

Hamborg told investigators she took the money to help her sister, Dingmann, who had financial difficulties. Dingmann accepted deposits totaling over $18,000 in accounts co-owned by her and other family members. According to reports, she admitted to investigators she knew where the money came from.

Dingmann said in a separate interview that she had been using Hamborg’s stolen money to support her family after she suffered identity theft, which led to financial hardship.

After reaching plea agreements in September, Hamborg pleaded guilty to four of the 19 counts of Theft and Swindle filed against her for stealing from the church and township.

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Dingmann was also charged with 10 counts of Theft and two counts of Theft by Swindle for receiving some of the funds that Hamborg stole.

Despite being sentenced to five years in prison, the full sentence has been stayed for five years as part of a settlement. The sisters agreed to five years probation, plus 70 days in jail each, divided into three separate time periods. The first stint was completed in January, and their second stint was deferred for both Hamborg and Dingmann.

They were also ordered to repay Sunburg Free Lutheran Church in Sunburg and Norway Lake Township more than $102,000 in restitution in increments of $135 per month.

Each must write letters of apology to their victims.

Sunburg Free Lutheran Church is listed under the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations (AFLC) and does not have a website or social media page.

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