Elgin church employee made $250K in unauthorized purchases on church credit cards: prosecutors

A church employee in Elgin allegedly made more than $250,000 in unauthorized payments with church credit cards, prosecutors say.

Jeffery L. Parham, 38, of Elgin, allegedly took two credit cards belonging to Harvest Bible Chapel, in the 1000 block of Randall Road, the Kane County state’s attorney’s office said in a statement.

Between July 2017 and October 2018, Parham allegedly used the cards to make $262,056 in unauthorized purchases, prosecutors said.

Church officials contacted Elgin police in October 2018 after finding bookkeeping irregularities, prosecutors said. Parham worked at the church and has been on leave since October 2018.

He was arrested Thursday in Bourbonnais and taken to Elgin.

Parham is charged with two felony counts of theft and two felony counts of theft by deception, prosecutors said.

He was released after posting a $5,000 bail, and is due in court again April 3.

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