A West Babylon man has been arrested and charged with Grand Larceny after the Nassau County District Attorney alleged he stole over $35,000 from a Bethpage church.
Derrick Campbell, 43, of West Babylon, was placed under arrest this morning by investigators after Nassau County DA Kathleen Rice alleged he stole $35,000 between June 2008 and May 2011 from East Meadow Church of Christ in Bethpage. Campbell had been serving as the church's volunteer treasurer.
Rice said Campbell allegedly issued a loan repayment to himself despite no such loan existing. The church's board of trustees referred the matter to the DA's office last August after Campbell told them he had stolen the money.
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“Mr. Campbell was trusted with a position of responsibility in the church, but he violated the trust of every parishioner who thought that their donations were being used for the betterment of the church and its community,” Rice said in a statement. “He did everything he could to cover his tracks, but today’s arrest was inevitable when he forged that first check.”
Campbell was charged with Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree. He could face up to seven years in prision if convicted and will be arraigned today in First District Court in Hempstead.
