Former church administrator pleads guilty to embezzling church funds

ATLANTA – Sherie Britton, a former church administrator, has pleaded guilty to embezzling over $315,000 from a church in Clayton County, Georgia.

“Britton took advantage of her access to the congregation’s donations to fund her extravagant personal expenses,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn. “For years she siphoned money away from the church’s charitable work and spent it on everything from clothing to vacations for herself. Stealing from your employer is always a crime, but it is more reprehensible when the money consists of donations for charitable purposes.”

According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: Britton was the church administrator for a church located in Rex, Georgia. As church administrator, Britton managed a Paypal account that received donations from members of the congregation. These funds were intended to be used for the needs of the church, for civic events, and to help poor members of the community.

Beginning in 2012 and continuing through February 2017, Britton stole over $257,000 in donations from the church’s Paypal account and over $58,000 from the church’s payroll account. Britton then spent the stolen church funds on a variety of personal expenses, including on vacations, clothing, restaurants, and home furnishings. On February 3, 2017, FBI agents interviewed Britton about the transfer of church funds to her personal Paypal account. During that interview, Britton falsely told the agents that she had the permission of the church to transfer these funds and that they were being spent on church-related events.

Sentencing for Sherie Britton, 44, of McDonough, Georgia, is scheduled for November 7, 2017, at 2:30 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Krepp is prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.