Deacon John Sommer, the former business manager and parish manager of Christ the King Parish, accepted a plea deal with federal prosecutors on May 13.
Sommer acknowledged that from March to October 2025, he stole more than $1.4 million, through more than 70 unauthorized ACH transfers from Christ the King to his own accounts.
“I used the funds to advance what I believed to be certain potential romantic interests online and also fund what I believed to be investment opportunities in purported cryptocurrency-based ventures,” he said in the plea agreement.
“To conceal my embezzlement efforts, I made sure to keep all unauthorized ACH transfers under the $30,000 approval limit. I also altered the Church’s accounting records to make it appear as if transfers were made to legitimate vendors, including to the Church’s third-party payroll and retirement service providers.”
Sommer faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million or twice the loss caused by his actions. A sentencing hearing is expected in the case in the coming months.
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