Channahon Church Thief Sentenced By Will County Judge

CHANNAHON, IL —More than two years after Channahon police took Kelly Shaeffer into custody in connection with an embezzlement investigation at the Channahon United Methodist Church on Route 6, the now 40-year-old Minooka woman has taken responsibility for her crime, pleading guilty to the felony offense of theft.

Under the plea agreement at the Will County Courthouse, Shaeffer will not have to spend any length of time at the Will County Jail or the Illinois Department of Corrections, court records show.

Instead, Will County Judge Sarah Jones issued what's known as a Second Chance Probation Order for Shaeffer. Additionally, Shaeffer is not being ordered to report to the Will County Probation Department under her sentencing guidelines. She must pay court costs totaling $1,054. She was given credit for one day of jail time already served.

Judge Jones entered a notation on the sentencing order indicating "restitution paid in full."

The criminal complaint indicated that Shaeffer's theft at the Channahon United Methodist Church took place between Jan. 1, 2016 and Feb. 29, 2020.

In the summer of 2020, Joliet Patch reported that the 38-year-old Minooka woman had confessed to stealing at least $53,000 from Channahon United Methodist Church's preschool program, according to Channahon Police Deputy Chief Adam Bogart.

Shaeffer was initially charged with three counts of felony theft stemming from missing money at Channahon's Methodist Church, where she was the preschool program's treasurer.

Shaeffer transferred the money into her personal accounts, Bogart informed Patch in 2020.

"Before an audit could be completed, Shaeffer admitted to theft and returned a portion of the stolen money," Bogart said at the time.