Former church treasurer enters guilty plea on theft charge, sentencing set

POMEROY, Ohio – A former church treasurer has entered a guilty plea on a charge of theft.

Maxine Rose, 67, of Racine, Ohio appeared before Judge I. Carson Crow in the Meigs County Court of Common Pleas with her attorney, Denise Bunce. Rose had been indicted by a Meigs County Grand Jury on Sept. 16, 2016 on one count of Theft, a felony of the fourth degree.

She was charged for taking up to $25,000 from the Southern Charge of the United Methodist Church according to Assistant Prosecutor Jeff Adkins when he addressed the court at the plea hearing on May 1, 2017. It was stated the theft took place from Jan. 1, 2011 to Feb. 4, 2016.

Adkins outlined the plea agreement that Rose would pay $9,000 in restitution to be paid immediately and he said there was a cashier’s check made out to the Meigs County Clerk of Courts in that amount turned in that day. Additionally, if Judge Crow goes along with the plea agreement, Rose must write a letter of apology to the church, never work with money in either a paid or volunteer position for an organization, and be subject to community control.

Judge Crow stated he had “more questions” about the case, “I would like to have answered.”

“Does everyone understand the state doesn’t have to go along with this agreement,” he said prior to Rose entering the change of plea. Rose is scheduled for sentencing on May 8 at 1:45 p.m. Judge Crow ordered a pre-sentencing investigation and a community control evaluation. Rose could face up to 18 months in prison, a $5,000 fine, and three years of community control.

Additionally, Judge Crow asked for a victim impact statement which Theda Petrasko, victim’s advocate, turned in to the court on behalf of the church. Two representatives from the church were in the courtroom as well.