Crime

Feds to Missouri pastor: Thou shalt not steal Social Security benefits

By Tony Rizzo
The pastor of a Nevada, Mo., church has pleaded guilty to illegally collecting social security benefits while being paid by the church.
The pastor of a Nevada, Mo., church has pleaded guilty to illegally collecting social security benefits while being paid by the church. Google Earth

A Missouri church pastor pleaded guilty Monday to illegally collecting about $87,000 in Social Security benefits.

Dennis Engelbrecht, 58, admitted Monday that he stole government money by collecting the disability benefits from 2011 to 2015.

As pastor of Pentecostal Assembly of God Church in Nevada, Mo., Engelbrecht was paid a weekly salary of $650, according to federal prosecutors.

But he failed to report his employment status to the Social Security Administration as he was supposed to do.

Besides the $87,705 in disability payments Engelbrecht received, his son received $3,220 in auxiliary benefits that he was not entitled to receive.

As part of Engelbrecht’s plea agreement, he will have to make restitution of $90,925.

A sentencing date has not been set. The crime carries a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison.

Tony Rizzo: 816-234-4435, @trizzkc

This story was originally published January 29, 2018 at 1:44 PM with the headline "Feds to Missouri pastor: Thou shalt not steal Social Security benefits."

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