Rocky Mount pastor distraught after thieves duplicate checks, steal $15,000 from church
Within the span of a week-and-a-half, about $15,000 was drained from the Fellowship of Praise Church of God in Rocky Mount.
Someone had stolen, duplicated and forged a check after it was mailed through the Westridge Post Office in Rocky Mount.
“Luckily, one of the check numbers that we used had already been used by us, so the bank kicked it. If not, that one would have gone through, as well,” said William Earp, the lead pastor of the church.
Earp said he felt a sense of panic after learning their money had been stolen. The check was initially set for a small amount. However, the bank told pastor William Earp that the thieves duplicated the original check at least three times. They then changed who the check was addressed to and increased the total amount. The first two checks were successfully cashed.
“We're a smaller congregation. Every dollar counts with what we do,” Earp explained.
He said the church has about 40 members.
“That's a large amount from anybody. A congregation of this size, that's a huge amount,” Earp said.
The Postal Inspection Service said it’s investigating the incident. The agency investigates crimes that involve mail.
“Postal Inspectors use a variety of preventive and investigative tools to identify and arrest those individuals responsible for these crimes. To maintain the integrity of those investigations, the Inspection Service cannot provide additional details. Please be assured that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is focused on investigating those who steal the U.S. Mail and bringing them to justice,” reads an email from a spokesperson.
Earp made a post to Facebook, warning the community of the theft. Several people commented with their own experiences – some very similar to Earp’s.
However, the Postal Inspection Service says it is not aware of any other complaints regarding the Westridge location.
If you see or know of someone stealing mail, you're asked to report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455 or online.
The bank has since replaced the stolen money for the church. Earp said he’s taking steps to protect his accounts in the future.
