Ex-minister sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing $800K from Houston church

HOUSTON – A former minister at Houston’s First Baptist Church was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison for stealing more than $800,000 from the church.

Jerrell Altic, 40, was pleaded guilty to theft of more than $300,000.

Wearing a suit and tennis shoes, deputies took him into custody after the judge announced his sentence.

Investigators said last year Altic stole the money over the course of six years, ending in November 2017.

Prosecutors accused of Altic of spending the money on his lavish lifestyle that included overseas trips and a doctorate from Lancaster Bible School.

Altic has already paid $555,000 in restitution, and prosecutors said Altic was cooperative and took responsibility for his actions.

"This is a sad day for our county, so we said when our heroes falter, people we look up to falter and when this does happen, we are standing in a bit of shock that something like this could occur,” said Harris County Prosecutor Lester Blizzard. 

First Baptist Church leaders said they are praying for Altic.

"Altic repeatedly made the decision to break the law and hurt many people in the process," a written statement released after the sentencing read. "However, we believe God extends love and forgiveness to him. We will continue praying for the entire Altic family."

Altic’s attorney declined to comment.

First Baptist Church's full statement

"On June 10, 2019, former Houston’s First Baptist Church employee Jerrell Altic was sentenced to 10 years by Judge Nikita V. Harmon of the 176th District Court. Altic was indicted by a Harris County grand jury on Dec.10, 2018, for first-degree felony theft of more than $800,000 stolen from his employer, the church, between 2011 and 2017. Altic made an initial restitution payment of approximately $555,000. This restitution payment will partially restore losses incurred by the church and its insurance carrier. Altic repeatedly made the decision to break the law and hurt many people in the process. However, we believe God extends love and forgiveness to him. We will continue praying for the entire Altic family.

"The church’s leadership fulfilled a fiduciary duty by notifying its insurance carrier and the District Attorney’s office of Altic’s actions. The District Attorney decided to press criminal charges and Altic pled guilty. The DA also chose to offer this punishment and he accepted it. Now that the judicial process has concluded, we are eager to put this matter behind us.

"The church continues to evaluate and adjust internal processes to mitigate the possibility of future misuse of church funds. We are committed to safely managing the resources entrusted to us by our church family and other donors. As one indication of that commitment, Houston’s First has been granted membership to the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. The ECFA is an accrediting organization dedicated to helping Christian ministries and churches uphold high standards of responsible stewardship. For more information, visit ECFA.church.

"Houston’s First continues to share the love and truth of Jesus Christ in the greater Houston area and around the world through a diverse offering of ministries, programs and missional endeavors. We look forward to following where God leads us as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)."


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