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Police: Church treasurer stole $216,000 for drugs, gambling

Tribune photo by JIM REED

Police say church treasurer Michael McKenzie embezzled money from the Port Tampa United Methodist Church.

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TBO.com

Published: April 8, 2009

Updated: 04/08/2009 10:23 am

Michael Wayne McKenzie

TAMPA - A small Port Tampa congregation is reeling over the arrest of a volunteer treasurer accused of stealing $216,000 in church funds to support drug and gambling habits.

Michael Wayne McKenzie, 46, of Tampa served as treasurer for the Port Tampa United Methodist Church, which his parents attend, since January 2006, Tampa police said. There are about 40 members in the congregation.

"This is a very unfortunate situation, very sad," said the Rev. Erik Alsgaard, a Lakeland spokesman for the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. "Churches place great bonds of trust in our volunteer and paid staff."

The church at 6914 S. De Soto St. might be able to recover some of the missing money through insurance, Alsgaard said. Even so, the fraud "will have and has had a tremendous impact," he said.

McKenzie is charged with two felony counts of grand theft, one felony count of organized fraud and one felony count of fraudulent use of personal information.

He was held at the Falkenburg Road Jail today on $52,500 bail, jail records show.

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