NEW CASTLE, Ind. — A New Castle woman is accused of embezzling more than $200,000 during the five years she was the treasurer of a local church.
Amy L. Nunn, 42, was charged in recent days with five counts of theft — two Level 5 felonies carrying up to six years in prison, and three Level 6 felonies with maximum 30-month sentences — in Henry Circuit Court 1.
Charging documents allege that between early 2020 and January 2024, Nunn stole $185,359.96 from the accounts of Grand Avenue Baptist Church, 2910 Grand Ave.
However, church leaders and police investigators have estimated the total financial loss at more than $200,000.
Nunn was the church’s treasurer from February 2020 until Jan. 21, when she submitted a letter of resignation.
Church officials told New Castle police “they did not suspect Amy of taking any of the money” until she confessed in a letter submitted in January.
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In a text message sent to a church member in January, Nunn reportedly said she had “a major gambling problem.”
“I wish I would have never done it,” she said. “I’ve ruined myself.”
In December, Nunn in a report claimed the church had $132,730 in its bank account.
But on Jan. 21, church leaders determined that account was more than $500 in arrears.
Church officials said they had been unaware of any financial problems until two checks “bounced” in late 2024.
In a letter to church leaders, including the Rev. Charles Dugger, Nunn called her actions “shameful and disgusting.” She also resigned from her position as a Sunday school teacher and said the church had been a “major part of my life for over 30 years.”
A New Castle police officer said Nunn had been “the only person who had access to the church’s finances, and that she was the only person to have a debit card and checks for the checking account.”
An affidavit alleged Nunn used church money to pay for a variety of personal expenses, including property tax owed on her home, purchases at restaurants and grocery stores, tickets to Disney World, insurance and utility bills, many online purchases and online gambling.
“Nunn’s spending habits and her unfettered access to the church’s monies did not stop until her resignation,” an investigator wrote. “By then, unbeknownst to the rest of the church leaders, the church was operating (on a) month to month basis, surviving only on the weekly tithes and offerings.”
Interviewed by police on March 6, Nunn “attributed her spending to the unfettered access and depression following her mother’s passing and financial issues.”
An initial hearing in her case is set for March 27. The New Castle woman was reportedly released after posting bond at the Henry County Jail.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Ex-treasurer at New Castle church charged with embezzlement
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