A former parish secretary and bookkeeper from DeSoto, Missouri, has been accused of embezzling at least $400,000 from her church. Corie M. Boyer, 49, of Jefferson County, Missouri, turned herself in on Friday following an indictment issued on March 6 by the U.S. District Court in St. Louis.
Boyer faces four counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering but pleaded not guilty during a court appearance on Friday afternoon.
According to the indictment, Boyer managed the church's books and records and was involved in organizing fundraisers and handling weekly collections. It is alleged that between January 2017 and March 2024, she misappropriated at least $400,000 through various means. These included using parish funds for personal expenses such as credit card bills, airfare for herself and relatives, cruises, college tuition payments, shopping, taxes, and rent. She allegedly wrote checks to herself and took cash from offertory collections while falsifying records to conceal her actions.
Wire fraud charges carry a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison or a $250,000 fine or both. Money laundering charges can result in up to 10 years in prison with the same possible fine.
It is important to note that charges in an indictment are accusations and do not equate to guilt; defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and IRS - Criminal Investigation division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow.