Former Harrison Pastor Accused of Stealing Over Half a Million Dollars From Church

A former pastor at Harrison Faith Assembly of God Church was arrested Saturday and is accused of stealing more than half a million dollars from the church, online court records show.

Forty-six-year-old Brian Keith Herring, now of Fayetteville, was formally charged Monday with theft of property and tampering with physical evidence in the case that alleges $525,634 was discovered missing from church accounts, according to a Harrison Daily Times report.

An arrest affidavit said three church members reported the money missing in early October. The original figure reported stolen was almost $334,000, and they went to police to talk about what “the Pastor and his secretary had been doing.”

A member reported she didn’t have access to the church’s credit card accounts. A certified public accountant said he was doing an audit of the church’s records, but he was also having trouble getting to the account through Chase Bank.

About a week after the original complaint was filed, one church member contacted authorities to report Herring had tuned in a laptop computer, an iPad and two iPhones that belonged to the church and could have contained credit card account information. But the devices had been factory reset and contained no records of the church’s accounts.

On Nov. 9, the auditor reported the audit was completed and showed almost $525,000 was missing. A Boone County Sheriff’s Officer on that same date went to find Herring, but his house was vacant and for sale. A short time later, Herring called the sheriff’s office to ask if he were under investigation. Dispatch obtained Herring’s contact information and law enforcement called him in for an interview.

Records show Herring, who had moved to Fayetteville, was arrested Saturday and was then released after posting $50,000 professional bond.

Prosecuting Attorney David Ethredge said the church secretary’s involvement was still under investigation Monday. The alleged theft took place over a period of two-to-three years.

Herring had been a Harrison City Council member before he resigned due to moving outside the city limits.

(Story from KTLO)