Secretary admits using $97,000 in church funds to buy drugs

An Elgin woman was arrested Monday after deputies say she admitted to stealing more than $97,000 in church funds and using the money to buy drugs on the streets of Columbia.

Debora Barfield, 53, was charged with breach of trust with fraudulent intent and forgery, according to a news release. Barfield served as church secretary for St. John’s United Methodist Church in Lugoff, and oversaw church funds. Investigators determined Barfield forged about 145 checks to steal the money.

“Drug abuse makes no distinction on who it destroys – black, white, rich, poor, young or old,” Kershaw County Sheriff Jim Matthews said.

Members of the finance committee became suspicious during the church’s annual financial audit. Barfield repeatedly failed to provide documents needed for the audit, according to Matthews.

On April 21, a Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office investigator began working with church officials, who told law enforcement that large sums of money could not be accounted for.

When the investigator interviewed Barfield, she admitted to taking the funds to buy drugs, Matthews said. Barfield turned herself in to law enforcement on Monday, and was released on a $25,000 bond.

“This incident should be a wake-up call for all churches where significant sums of money are collected weekly,” Matthews said. “It is important to trust those in charge of church funds, but it is imperative that a system be put in place to verify how those funds are accounted for in order to keep everyone honest.”

Barfield has no previous arrest record, but faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for her current charges.

This story was originally published May 10, 2016 at 10:06 AM with the headline "Secretary admits using $97,000 in church funds to buy drugs."