Man accused of stealing $470k from NC church where his grandfather is the pastor
The grandson of a North Carolina pastor has been accused of stealing nearly half a million dollars from the church his grandfather has led for almost 50 years.
Police arrested and charged Jordan Blake Shortridge, 28, with felony larceny for allegedly using more than $470,000 in church funds for “non-church related purchases.”
The Dallas Church of God, which sits in a town of about 6,000 people, is led by Rev. D.R. Shortridge, according to its website and social media accounts — which have since been made private. Local outlets reported the reverend is Shortridge’s grandfather.
Its accountants first noticed the discrepancies in 2021 when they found both withdrawals and payments made through PayPal, Dallas police wrote in a statement.
The transactions dated back to 2018, police said.
Church leaders reported the fraud on July 31, 2023, and officers arrested Shortridge on Dec. 8, after an investigation.
He is charged with felony larceny.
“Dallas Church of God is continuing to pray for all parties involved,” the church wrote in a statement to Queen City News.
This story was originally published December 20, 2023 at 3:47 PM.
