Posted on 06/17/2005 10:43:43 AM PDT by moorebus
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Rev. Davis pleads not guilty in theft case
By Paul A. Long Post staff reporter
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The Rev. Larry Davis pleaded not guilty today to charges that he stole nearly $800,000 from his flock at the First Baptist Church of Cold Spring
Davis, wearing a dark suit, strode into the federal courtroom in Covington to face a seven-count federal indictment charging him with theft, fraud, and tax evasion. For the most part, he remained silent, speaking only when U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Gregory Wehrman asked him a question.
Wehrman ordered Davis to post his Cold Spring house - in which he has some $20,000 equity - as bond. He also confiscated Davis' passport, restricted his travel to the tri-state area, and ordered him not to open up any new lines of credit.
After the brief hearing, Davis went with court officials to be "processed," which included the taking of a mug shot and having his fingerprints taken.
His attorney, Patrick Hanley, said he does not expect to reach a plea agreement with federal prosecutors.
"I think this thing is going to go to trial," Hanley said.
During the arraignment, Wehrman told Davis that one of the charges carries a penalty of up to 30 years in prison. He set a trial date for Aug. 22.
Despite the indictment, Davis remains the pastor. He remains popular among the congregation, many of whom stood by him during an 18-month investigation.
Some 300 members, however, split off and have formed a new church.
The federal grand jury last week charged Davis with stealing $792,000 from the church and not reporting $845,000 of income to the IRS. For two years, according to the indictments, Davis did not file an income-tax form.
The grand jury said Davis lied to a bank to get money for church construction and, through church bank accounts he controlled, diverted $476,000 from one account and $316,000 from another to himself from 2000 through 2003.
The minister under-reported his taxable income by $61,564 in 2000 and by $154,351 in 2001, the indictment charged. He failed to report taxable income of $218,997 in 2002 and $409,957 in 2003, the indictment charged.
Davis sometimes made cash withdrawals from a church bank account at automatic teller machines at race tracks, federal authorities said.
a sticky situation, fer sure.
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