Cleveland church business manager sentenced for embezzlement

Federal agents confiscated guns from his home during a raid, prosecutors say he used church money to buy many personal items

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – A former church business manager has been sentenced in a federal wire fraud investigation.

We first became aware of the case against David Apps when federal officers raided his home in Mountain Shadows.

They confiscated guns from the home.

Later, prosecutors said Apps took money from the Broad Street United Methodist Church in Cleveland and bought trips, cars and guns with it.

In February, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud.

Then on Thursday, a judge sentenced Apps to almost four years in federal prison.

Prosecutors say he embezzled $1.3 million dollars from the church as their business manager.

They say he used the church credit card to pay for personal expenses, including trips, vehicles, a boat and medical expenses.

Prosecutors say he also used his federal firearms license to funnel stolen money through his business account after buying a large number of firearms.

Over a seven-year period, he failed to pay the church’s payroll taxes, which left them more than a million dollars in debt to the IRS.