BENTONVILLE — Former church treasurer Cathy Spivey admitted stealing thousands of dollars from Twelve Corners Baptist Church.
Spivey, 43, of Pea Ridge pleaded guilty Thursday to theft of property, a Class B felony punishable with a prison sentence ranging from five to 20 years.
Her punishment, without the benefit of a plea agreement, will be up to Circuit Judge Jon Comstock.
Spivey agreed to pay $31,446 in restitution as acondition of the agreement between the deputy prosecutor and Spivey’s attorney to enter a guilty plea.
She was arrested April 13, 2011.
Benton County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jeff Robbins was called to Twelve Corners Baptist Church about Spivey taking money from the church for her personal use. It was suspected the thefts had been happening since Spivey was hired in 2006, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Pastor Rick Booyer told Geovanni Serrano, an investigator with theSheriff’s Office, he began noticing discrepancies with his retirement plan’s year-end report, according to court documents. Payments weren’t made on the plan, but the church’s reports showed payments had been made.
Booyer also reported in April several discrepancies were noted in a monthly report Spivey provided church members, according to the affidavit.
Spivey and her husband, Joey, met with Booyer on April4 and she confessed she had embezzled money from the church. She admitted to writing checks to herself and also to taking cash, but she couldn’t remember how much money she had taken, according to court documents. She was church treasurer from 2006 until 2011.
Comstock ordered the local probation office to do a presentencing investigation.
Sentencing is set for Aug. 15 for Spivey.
News, Pages 1 on 07/04/2012