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NEW HAMPSHIRE: Church's treasurer is charged. Former volunteer stole more than $100,000
By MELANIE ASMAR
Christian Science Monitor
TILTON, NH (6/7/2005)--A Sanbornton woman has been charged with stealing more than $100,000 from the Trinity Episcopal Church on Main Street while she was treasurer there several years ago. She allegedly used the money to pay her bills.
Christine Hersom, 40, of 754 Sanborn Road, was charged with theft by unauthorized taking, a felony, for writing checks from the church's bank account. Hersom was treasurer at the church, a volunteer position, from 1995 to 2001, according to her attorney, John Boyle of Plymouth. During that time, the police allege that Hersom paid herself more than $13,500 in salary, in addition to other offenses.
The police said that Hersom paid three personal credit card bills totaling about $1,050 with church money. She also allegedly used $325 of church money to pay for her son to take a school field trip to Washington, D.C. Hersom also wrote a check from the church bank account to buy herself a Kirby vacuum cleaner, the police said.
The alleged embezzlement was brought to the attention of the Tilton police by a former pastor, the Rev. Martha Dwyner, in 2001, according to court papers. In 2003, Detective Robert Dupuis began reviewing documents that were supplied by the church. Hersom turned herself in to the police yesterday morning. She was arraigned in Franklin District Court and freed on $150,000 personal recognizance bail.
Hersom is no longer involved with the church, Boyle said. Mike Barwell, spokesman for the diocese, said he didn't know much about the case except that it had been under investigation for a long time. He also said Hersom's charges are not related to either of the recent controversies at the church, a statement confirmed by the police.
In February, a former Trinity Episcopal Church volunteer and youth minister was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting two 4-year-old girls and stealing nearly $4,000 from the church-run food pantry. Scott Nash, 45, of Northfield, is being held at the Merrimack County Jail on $1 million bail.
And last month, the pastor of Trinity Episcopal Church resigned after 14 hours of discussion between herself and church officials, including Bishop Gene Robinson. The Rev. Janet Lombardo's inability to address issues involving authority, collaboration, commitment, dissemination of information and judgment led to her departure, according to church officials. She had led the church for seven years.
(The Associated Press contributed to this story. Melanie Asmar can be reached at 528-2027 or by e-mail at masmar@cmonitor.com.)
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