Man enters plea in church’s theft

A Van Buren man has pleaded innocent in Crawford County Circuit Court to a theft charge accusing him of stealing $94,000 over 3½ years from the church for which he worked.

John Richard Hays, 41, appeared Wednesday before Circuit Judge Gary Cottrell, who appointed the public defender to represent him. The husband with three children stated in an affidavit for indigence that he had $16 in the bank, according to court records.

An affidavit for an arrest warrant dated April 2 stated that Hays was the assistant treasurer for Vista Freewill Baptist Church and was financial officer for the church’s Van Buren Christian Academy.

From June 1, 2010, to Jan. 1 of this year, he forged checks and took money from the church and school, according to the affidavit.

Van Buren police detective Jonathan Wear said Hays admitted taking a few hundred dollars at a timeover a long period and using the money for personal expenses.

In the arrest warrant affidavit, Hays disputed taking $94,000, saying he estimated that he took $60,000 to $70,000.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 10 on 04/18/2014

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