![[SeMissourian.com]](http://www.bannergraphic.com/images/nameplate.png)
RSS
Print
Email link
Respond to editor
Read comments (22)
Share link
del.icio.us
Digg
StumbleUpon
Technorati
Newsvine
Facebook
Furl
Reddit
Google
 Melynda Fenwick |
Melynda J. "Mindy" Fenwick was in Putnam County Circuit Court Thursday morning, entering guilty pleas to five counts of Class C felony forgery, one county of Class C felony theft and five counts of Class D felony theft in relation to funds taken from Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church.
Fenwick was employed by Gobin as administrative financial secretary from 2005 to 2009.
No plea bargain was offered by the state.
Fenwick is set to be sentenced on Nov. 23 at 9:30 a.m. She faces up to 10 years in prison.
Story will be updated and a complete account will be available in Friday's Banner Graphic.
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, please
I'm proud of her for pleading GUILTY.
Why? It was that or go to trial and risk getting maxed out on all counts, which would happen after wasting the taxpayers money on a trial.
You answered your own question UMad, she chose not to do that. Most defendants will drag it out as long as they can, not at all concerned about the amount of money they cost the taxpayers. She still risks getting maxed out, as far as time served, on all counts. Maybe the Judge will give her some credit for pleading guilty, but that is up to the Judge at this point.
I hope the judge throws the book at her!
I give her credit for accepting responsibility for her actions. Must have been a pretty well put together case.
I think five years would be a good sentence. After credit for good time, she would serve 2 1/2 years. Not bad for the crime...
from the shame and guilt, i would probably have to kill myself
prayers for everyone involved
I always knew there was something fishie about her but never dreamed she would throw away the time she has with her children. Her aunt and mom are respectful politions for greencastle guess you cant trust them all.....my thoughts are with her children at this time
I smell a rat.
i think she should get house arrest, what good would it do our "community" with her behind bars? She has been more than cooperative the whole time. Why do people have to bring other family members into this? like our family isn't going through enough already? I guess everyone has a right to an oppinion.
House Arrest? Are you kidding me? What would keep someone else from risking just house arrest for the chance at getting free money? Take their freedom. That's the price! 10 years? I don't know but certainly not house arrest
Ok people lets get real here. The lady is basically facing a C felony which carries no more than 8 years with a presumtive sentence of 4 years.With fines ranging to 10,000. Next she is facing a D felony which is 3 years max with a year to a year in a half as the presumitive sentence.Aswell as up to 10,000 in fines.Which by Indiana law can be reduced to an a misdemeaner. So Now that that is out of the way. The lady probably has no criminal past so this is a first offense for her.True this is thought of as a bad bad crime but there is hope for her as opposed to others caught for other things. So when you do the math and think of sentencing guidlines. Pretty sure they will all run concurrent with each other which will mean she would get sentenced 4 to 6 years due to the aggravating circumstances out weight the mitigating. Next moves in the cuts or suspensions of the sentence. I would guess that she would be sentenced to 3 years with three suspended. those suspended years would be spent on probation or what putnam county deems really as Home detention. NOW i know i hhave done this in the past. But a person who is on house arrest has to pay by the week user fees that can be anywhere from 49 dollars up to what every they want it to be. So you add those monies together for 3 years egauals to 2548 per year totaling a total bill of 7,644 for the term. Next add in restitution for this in three years she will have to pay back. Which at last count was $284,000 so then lets further break that number down to monthly payments by dividing it by 36 months which is 7888.90 a month. so with that number and her 47 a week which roughly equals 49 X 4.5 +7888.90 =8901.40 per month of house arrest.Not sure how anyone in this economy with or with out her new record could get a job that pays that much.Which would equal 93k a year .Hey is there and openings at ONT.. just kidding. But I do believe somewhere in the books if you plead guilty without a pleas agreement in place you can A. Appeal the judgment
B. Not be ordered to pay retitution.
So there is alot to think about.
there is no way the court would decide to make her pay the restitution like that!? lets be real. "oh my goodness" is not very smart.
to "yankeesstink" it would cost more for our community to put her behind bars.
Actually +ingmy2cents, she did not steal from everyone who offered money to the church. Once you have placed your offering to the church, you have done your part and the deed still stands good in your God's eyes.
As far as what she learns from this crime,,, well, we are ALL learning that sometimes crime does pay.
I want to say thank you for not spending the taxpayer's money. I'm sure someone else will step up and spend it!
Xgamer I am sorry you feal this way. Until the money is used to carry gods work in to the community it is stealing from everybody. Wake up!
Don't be so foolish woody1, you go to work all week, earn your pay. Take your 10% tithe and drop it in the collection plate (in good faith and with a greatful heart) on Sunday. Once you drop your thithe into the plate, it is not your money anymore. You have committed your act of faithfullness.
When someone embezzles those funds, they take from Gods house, and will answer to a higher court eventually. This money stolen from this establishment has not hampered their work in the community at all.
My earlier comment was a response to another (now deleted) person who felt the people were personally robbed.
Xgamer god did not ask for money but your Love. The money is for any building of worship to continue and build a better place of worship. If the money is taken away, then yes all have a sence of being betrayed and robbed. When this happens those do stop giving there 10%. In the face of god, yes she will meet the rath. For those who gave must wait for a better place to worship do to the lose of money.
SHe should have to pay Restitution! She stole it, knowing that it was wrong..she should be MADE to pay it back!
Members at Gobin are the victims and they will not stop their 10% tithe and give up on their faith and strong bond with Gobin and quit giving.Gobin does a lot for this community and it is a strong church that will survive this and move on with their work in their church.Mindy did the right thing and plead guilty and is facing her accountibility of what she did.Prayers to Mindy and her family.I honestly believe Mindy is a good Christian woman-she has a illness and I would like to see her receive mental health help and I do not feel prison is the answer.
its wrong what she done. ithink people who do this is just plain lazya fast way to get quick cash, think of all the people WHO are working to make a living? do think they will ever learn their lesson???