Former Smithfield church secretary headed to prison for embezzling

From Virginia-

A former church secretary convicted of embezzling more than $300,000 from a Smithfield church will spend nearly five years in prison.

Retired Circuit Court Judge Williams C. Andrews III on Tuesday sentenced Debra Lee Epps, 51, of the 15000 block of New Towne Haven Lane, to 50 years for stealing the money from Christ Episcopal Church in Smithfield.

He suspended all but four years and eight months and ordered Epps to pay restitution of $220,000 and placed her on supervised probation after her incarceration. She has already repaid $80,000 of the $300,000 embezzled from the church.

In May, Epps pleaded guilty to eight counts of embezzlement and one each of forging and uttering checks between 1998 and 2008.

As part of a plea agreement, the state dropped 23 check forgery charges and five embezzlement charges originally lodged against her.

A Virginia State Police audit of church records showed multiple instances when Epps — whose paycheck was deposited into her bank electronically — wrote herself paper checks for the same amount, said Commonwealth's Attorney Wayne Farmer.

She also forged signatures on checks and falsified professional audits before passing them to church finance committee members, he said.

Epps, dressed in slacks and lime green shirt, did not address the courtroom packed with nearly two dozen church members Tuesday.

She was taken into custody by deputies immediately after the sentencing.

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