Former Sutter County church administrator convicted of $360K fraud and identity theft
(FOX40.COM) — A woman who worked as a church administrator in Yuba City was convicted of embezzling over $360,000 from the house of worship.
U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced that a federal judge found 38-year-old Chanell Easton, who now lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, guilty of two counts of aggravated identity theft on Monday.
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Talbert said that according to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Easton stole money from the church’s youth ministry and food pantry from 2013 to 2018. During her employment, Easton used credit cards associated with the church to make personal purchases — at a hair salon, retail stores, online retailers, a vacation rental service, and to buy VIP concert tickets, according to the U.S. attorney. She paid off the resulting balance with the church’s money.
In addition, Talbert reported that Easton transferred money directly from the church’s bank accounts to her personal account, forged the church treasury’s signature to write checks to herself, and participated in various other fraudulent activities involving church funds.
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On May 19, 2022, a grand jury returned an indictment, charging Easton with 22 counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Easton pleaded guilty to the fraud counts on Oct. 17, 2023, but persisted in her not-guilty plea to the remaining two counts. A jury trial was waived, and the one-day trial was held before U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez.
Mendez is scheduled to sentence Easton on June 25. Easton faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 for each count of wire fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence on each count of aggravated identity theft.
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