$80K Embezzled From Harrison Church

Wednesday, September 12, 2012 at 7:29 AM

St. John the Baptist Church in Harrison.

file photo

(Harrison, Oh.) - More than $80,000 is missing from a Harrison church.

An article in the August 19 bulletin from St. John the Baptist Catholic Church detailed the possible theft of money.

“Sadly, it appears that almost all our accounts have been hit with the amount being well over $80,000.00,” Rev. Jeffrey Kemper wrote in the bulletin, referring to the case as embezzlement.

Harrison Police Department detectives are on the case. Det. Norbert Koopman would not comment on the investigation or state whether any arrests have been made.

The pastor said the church is insured and should be able to recoup all but the deductible of $10,000. Still, the theft does not sit well with many parishioners.

“I am finding that people are moving from shock and sorrow to anger, and this is probably the only area on which I am ahead of everyone else because I have been angry about two weeks longer,” Kemper said. “I am angry that someone deceived us into trusting him, and, as everyone is struggling to bring in more money, it was also going out in someone’s pocket.”

Kemper is urging church members to not let anger overwhelm them.