A Raytown man who worked or volunteered at two area churches pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to embezzling more than $86,000 from those parishes, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Western District of Missouri.
David Townley, 59, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud and one count of tax evasion.
According to the news release, Townley admitted he was involved in a scheme to defraud Nativity of Mary church and school in Independence from 2007 to 2013. He was the business manager there from December 2006 through June 2013.
The news release says Townley skimmed money from cash tuition payments made by parents from 2011 through 2013. He recorded accurate tuition deposits in the school’s log but deposited a lesser amount into the church’s bank account.
The news release says Townley admitted that he stole $47,705 from Sacred Heart of Guadalupe church in Kansas City, Missouri in a fraud scheme that lasted from 2006 to 2013. He was a volunteer at the church from 2002 through 2013.
Townley was in charge of paying the church’s bills, making QuickBooks entries, reporting to the financial committee and filing the church’s tax returns.
The news release says from 2006 through 2013, Townley negotiated more than 20 checks, totaling $47,705, and deposited them into his personal bank account.
Townley used the money he embezzled mostly to pay off credit card debt, according to the news release. A conservative estimate of the total loss is $86,297.
Townley also admitted he didn’t file federal income tax returns for tax years 2005 through 2013. During those years, Townley had a taxable income that ranged from 54,633 to $115,721. The total loss for those years is $59,322.
Townley is subject to a sentence of up to 45 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
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