Woman admits taking $75K from church

A Carson City woman admitted to stealing more than $75,000 from a Douglas County church and may face additional charges in the capital.

Tracey L. Taylor, 45, was arraigned in Douglas County District Court on Monday where she pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, but under a plea agreement she faces 2-5 years in prison.

Prosecutors promised not to oppose probation for Taylor, who will pay $75,000 in restitution.

Taylor told Judge Michael Gibbons that she wrote checks on the account of Corpus Christi Catholic Church to pay her bills and for some cash during the course of three years since the church relocated to Douglas County.

Defense attorney Tod Young said there may be additional charges stemming from Taylor writing checks while the church was headquartered in Carson City.

"I'm in as much shock as anybody that I did this," she told Gibbons. "I knew it was wrong."

When asked by the judge if there was a point early in the process where she told herself she should be writing fraudulent checks on the church's account, she said, "I thought that every time."

Young said he believed that all but $5,000 of the missing money was covered by the church's insurance.

Taylor is out of custody on a $5,000 bond. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 5.

Church officials were alerted to the crime in January when contacted by NV Energy over a payment which appeared to be irregular.

Taylor worked for the church since 2006, according to reports.

Investigators discovered 19 checks to Walmart totaling $13,789; 18 to Orchard Bank in City of Industry, Calif., for $11,087; and 16 checks to Merrick Bank in Hicksville, N.Y., all credited to Taylor's accounts.