MANATEE COUNTY, FL — Eight people have been arrested in connection with a check fraud scheme that targeted at least 17 churches in Manatee County, stealing more than $72,000 in parishioner donations, authorities said.
The investigation also uncovered nearly $194,000 in confirmed losses involving victims outside Manatee County, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
The arrests, announced Friday, followed a multi-agency investigation that began in December 2025 after a pastor at Harvest United Methodist Church in Lakewood Ranch reported a significant decrease in mail received by the church.
Parishioners had begun questioning whether their monthly tithe checks were arriving. Several later discovered their checks had been stolen and deposited into other people's bank accounts, investigators said.
Detectives with the MCSO Economic Crimes Unit eventually identified more than 20 suspects and fraudulent activity involving at least 17 Manatee County churches between September 2025 and May 2026.
Investigators determined that suspects stole checks mailed by church members and deposited them, unaltered, into their personal bank accounts. Many of the deposits were made through mobile banking, allowing the alleged fraud to go largely undetected.
So far, detectives have identified 66 victims in Manatee County and 107 stolen checks, resulting in more than $72,000 in confirmed losses. Another seven local victims and seven checks remain unconfirmed, representing an additional $1,800 in potential losses.
Outside Manatee County, investigators identified 268 stolen checks and nearly $194,000 in confirmed losses.
The investigation is being conducted in partnership with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.
The eight people arrested are:
The suspects face charges including organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, uttering a forged instrument and criminal use of personal identification.
Detectives have active arrest warrants for seven additional people, who haven't been named.
Authorities said efforts to locate and arrest the remaining suspects are ongoing. Some are believed to be in the Miami area, while at least one has been confirmed to be in Cuba.
The sheriff's office urges residents to closely monitor their bank accounts and mailed checks, especially when sending payments or donations by mail. Anyone who believes they may have been victimized is asked to contact the Manatee County Sheriff's Office at 941-747-3011.
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