Former church employee, volunteer sentenced to year in federal prison for embezzlement
A Raytown man who worked or volunteered at two area churches was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison without parole for embezzling more than $86,000 from those parishes.
David Townley, 60, was sentenced Thursday in federal court after pleading guilty in February to charges of wire fraud, mail fraud and tax evasion.
In his plea, Townley admitted that he stole the money from Nativity of Mary Church and School in Independence and Sacred Heart Guadalupe church in Kansas City.
Townley, who was business manager for Nativity of Mary from December 2006 through June 2013, also handled church finances as a volunteer for Sacred Heart from 2002 through 2013.
He admitted that he skimmed money from tuition paid by parents of students at Nativity of Mary.
He also admitted that he made unauthorized check deposits from Sacred Heart into his personal bank account.
Most of the embezzled money was used to pay off his credit card debts, according to the plea agreement.
As part of the plea, Townley must forfeit at least $86,297.93.
Toriano Porter: 816-234-4779, @torianoporter
This story was originally published July 13, 2017 at 10:37 PM with the headline "Former church employee, volunteer sentenced to year in federal prison for embezzlement."