A St. Petersburg man was arrested Wednesday after police said he used more than $700,000 that was paid to him to build a new Clearwater church for his own benefit, officials said.
William Botelho, 40, was charged by the Clearwater Police Department with grand theft.
In August 2023, Unity Church of Clearwater entered into a contract with Custom Building Solutions, which was owned and operated by Botelho at the time.
The church paid Botelho $832,175, or 20% of the contract value, to purchase building supplies and pay subcontractors…