Financial Crime News 10/23/2023

(October 19) Ocean Man Arrested In Bridgewater Assault And Robbery Behind Church | Bridgewater, NJ

An Ocean County man has been charged with robbery and attempted sexual assault for allegedly attacking a woman behind Blessed Sacrament Church in July.

Elias Rodriguez, 45, of Brick, was also charged with attempted aggravated sexual assault, Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald announced. All three charges are second-degree offenses which carry a prison sentence of five to 10 years.

Rodriguez was arrested Wednesday in Jackson Township without incident. He is in the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing in Superior Court.

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(October 16) Masked Gunmen Carjack MS Church Deacon And Grandson | Clarksdale, MS

Three masked gunmen robbed a church deacon and stole his truck. To make matters worse, the crime went down in front of the deacon’s 10-year-old grandson Tuesday night after revival.

There is no doubt Robert Irons, a deacon at New Jerusalem MBC in Clarksdale, is a man of faith. Tuesday night his faith was tested by three masked gunmen.

“They came from around this corner, this side road here. Came from around that corner with guns,” Irons said.

Irons, who had his 10-year-old grandson with him, had just locked up following the church’s fall revival.

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(October 13) Man Arrested In Connection With Two Church Robberies In Rensselaer | Rensselaer, NY

A man was arrested in connection with two church robberies in Rensselaer.

Police arrested John W. G. Whiteford, 41, on Monday at the Albany County Jail, following a month's long investigation into a burglary at St. John the Evangelist and St. Joseph's Church.

The Rensselaer Police Department was assisted by the Bethlehem Police Department, Capital Region Crime Analysis Center and New York State Parole.

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(October 13) Pews, Lecterns, Glasses, And Cutlery Stolen From Golden Church Of God In Virginia | Gainesville, VA

Pews, lecterns, a dining room set, crystal glassware, and silver cutlery were reported missing from a historic Prince William County church. 

Investigators with the Prince William County Police Department believe the theft at the Golden Church of God of Prophecy occurred sometime between Monday, Oct. 2, and Wednesday, Oct. 11.

The abandoned place of worship still stands at 15032 Lee Highway in Gainesville.

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(October 13) Greenville Man Charged With Break-In And Theft At Local Church | Winterville, NC

A Greenville man is facing charges after breaking into a place of worship. It all happened on Sept. 28 around 1:00 p.m. when the Pitt County Sheriff's office responded to a call of a breaking and entering.

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