HE APPARENTLY MISUNDERSTOOD THE 8TH COMMANDMENT

Former Los Angeles Church Chairman Charged With Stealing Over $11 Million In Church Funds

LAPPL News Watch
August 27, 2019

The former board chairman for the Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist, Los Angeles, was arrested Monday on suspicion of stealing more than $11 million in church money and using it to purchase a home, a membership at Disneyland’s exclusive dining club and pay other personal expenses.

Charles Thomas Sebesta, 54, of Huntington Beach, is charged in a federal indictment with six counts of wire fraud, five counts of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

He pleaded not guilty Monday to the charges in the indictment. Trial was set for Oct. 22 and a detention hearing was scheduled for Tuesday in downtown Los Angeles.

According to the indictment, Sebesta was hired in 2001 as the church’s facilities manager and ultimately joined the church in 2005 and served as its local chairman. In that capacity, he controlled the church’s financial assets and operations, including at least five of its bank accounts, according to the indictment.