Parishioners at the McLean Bible Church have given their offerings, each week, in good faith. However, Fairfax County police believe that a Centreville man who was an usher at the church illegally kept a large portion of that money for himself.
Accordingly, they have charged David W. Yates, 26, of 5104 Woodmere Drive, No. 103, in the Sully Station community, with felony embezzlement. If convicted, he could be sentenced to as much as 10 years in prison.
Police say they received information that Yates — who was a head usher during Sunday-evening services — was allegedly not turning over all of the money gathered during the offering collection. An investigation followed and, through it, police learned that — during the past year — he'd allegedly withheld funds "in excess of several thousand dollars."
Appropriately enough, police arrested Yates, Sunday evening, March 2, at the church at 8925 Leesburg Pike in McLean. He was taken to the Adult Detention Center and released, March 3, on $5,000 bond. He has a May 5 court date.
Police Det. W.A. Kuemmer executed a search warrant, March 3, at Yates' Centreville home, hoping to find possible evidence there relating to this crime. According to the inventory list attached to the affidavit for the search warrant, police seized: a checkbook with a book of checks, a plastic bag containing McLean Bible Church checks, several SunTrust bank statements, a SunTrust check register and five SunTrust deposit receipts.
<tgl> — Bonnie Hobbs