Police are looking for a an Atlanta man accused of writing fraudulent checks at the expense of a Buckhead congregation.
The suspect, identified as Michael Williams, allegedly intercepted a check mailed in May by Christ Church Presbyterian, lifted the routing number and had checks made in his name sent to a Collier Road apartment.
Fraudulent debits, totaling roughly $17,000, were uncovered along with four co-opted checks for $2,550. Church administrator Robin Parten told Atlanta police a neighbor of Williams' never received two checks sent to him by Christ Presbyterian.
"It was shockingly easy," Parten told the AJC. The bank covered the stolen funds, said Parten, who was told thieves are increasingly targeting places of worship.
DeKalb's Briarlake Baptist Church was robbed three times last fall, with burglars lifting electronics totaling roughly $10,000. A Peachtree City man was charged with burglarizing four Coweta County churches in January and was previously linked to church thefts in Fayette County and Peachtree City.
In April, police arrested a Laurens County couple for stealing components from a church air conditioner. They were suspected in several other such thefts.
Even church members have been targeted. Last month an Atlanta woman was arrested for allegedly breaking into cars during Sunday services at two Fayette County churches.
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