A Florida woman has been accused of embezzling over $570,000 from Amelia Baptist Church , where she worked as the financial secretary for 11 years. The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office arrested 44-year-old Melissa Ganey English on charges of grand theft over $100,000, a first-degree felony.
The alleged embezzlement occurred between January 2019 and October 2024. According to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, English used a church-issued credit card for personal expenses , including Amazon purchases, SeaWorld tickets, and a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon. She also reportedly gave herself unauthorized payroll payments.
The fraud was discovered when two new members of the church’s financial committee noticed discrepancies in the bank records . They found that funds were significantly lower than expected and reported their findings to the church leadership. The church then hired a contractor to review all financial transactions, revealing numerous fraudulent charges…