HOUSTON — Former Houston First Baptist Church minister Jerrell G. Altic, 40, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing money from his congregation.
Altic pleaded guilty to theft on Monday.
It was late 2018 when a Harris County grand jury indicted the former minister for stealing more than $800,000 from the church.
Altic, 40 allegedly embezzled the money during a six-year period that ended in November 2017, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors say Altic allegedly spent the stolen funds on overseas trips with his family, groceries and to pay for his doctorate in divinity from Lancaster Bible College.
They added that he stole the money in a number of ways, including forged payments authorizations.
At the time of his arrest, his attorney said he had learned his lesson: "He's actually met with the church and he's asked for forgiveness."
Houston's First Baptist Church said they discovered suspicious financial activity linked to Altic in November 2017. When they confronted him, he immediately resigned, the church said.
They turned their initial findings over to law enforcement and began a "thorough investigation conducted by staff leadership, relevant church committees and deacons as well as independent forensic accounting and legal experts."
The investigation revealed Altic, acting alone, used several deceptive and "difficult to detect" techniques to steal the money, First Baptist said.
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