Former minister reportedly stole $160,000 from local church

The former minister of Life Builder Community Church, 637 E. Washington St., Greencastle, is facing theft charges after allegedly using an estimated $160,000 for personal purchases and expenses.

Bobby D. Hopper, 56, who now resides in Carmel, was arrested at 5:27 p.m. Tuesday and lodged in the Putnam County Jail.

During Hopper’s initial hearing in Putnam Superior Court Wednesday afternoon, Judge Denny Bridges entered a not-guilty plea for the defendant, setting bond at $10,000 (10 percent allowed). A pretrial conference was set for July 26.

Hopper was charged Tuesday in Superior Court for alleged thefts occurring between 2018 and 2021, including:

-- Taking out a $29,000 loan in Life Builder Church’s name and presenting it to the church board as a no-payback grant.

-- Using the church bank card to withdraw more than $38,000 in cash from ATMs.

-- Using church funds to pay for his state insurance license for his personal business, the Bobby Hopper Agency.

-- Using $29,000 in Life Builder funds to pay on a personal vehicle.

-- Using $1,200 in church funds to purchase airline tickets for a personal trip.

-- Using more than $4,400 in church funds to pay for personal hospital bills.

-- Spending several thousands of dollars on Amazon, using church funds for personal items.

-- Writing multiple Life Builder checks to his personal business account.

Total property loss adds up to $160,000, according to court documents.

Church officials advised investigating officer Det. Capt. Michael Collins of the Greencastle City Police that they never approved cash withdrawals by Hopper or payment of his personal medical bills, family airline tickets or a personal vehicle.

Hopper’s attorney, Ron McLean of Indianapolis, advised that after looking over some of the discrepancies Hopper was willing to pay back $13,000.

Det. Collins stated in the probable cause affidavit that Hopper reported “that he messed up on the loan application (for $29,000) and filled it out wrong.” He reported speaking with church officials and said he “was told the church would handle it.”

Concerning checks made out to the Bobby Hopper Agency, the accused said it was for insurance coverage for the church. However, Det. Collins spoke with Patrick Pistelli, the current pastor of Life Builder, who advised that was not true because the church has automatic payments taken out for the insurance.

Attorney McLean said the church was “a loosely-run operation.”

But Hopper was in charge of running it, Collins countered in the interview, asking why Hopper didn’t have a treasurer for all those years and his response was “I don’t have an answer for that.”

Det. Collins also interviewed Hopper’s ex-wife Cami, who said she had no clue Hopper was using church funds when buying things.

“She advised he would tell her they were perks from his jobs,” Collins said in the probable cause affidavit. He reportedly told her the church paid for airline tickets for them to travel to Texas to see his mom and food for their daughter’s graduation party at the church had been donated by U.S. Foods (the meal was paid by church funds).

“Cami reported Bobby was always buying things on Amazon and she didn’t understand how they could afford it because they didn’t have the money in the bank,” Det. Collins noted. “Cami admitted that Bobby has lied about a lot of things over the years of their marriage and this doesn’t surprise her at all.”

Besides his role at the Greencastle church, Hopper has been general manager of the Greencastle McDonald’s, winning a prestigious national honor as McDonald’s Corp.’s 2009 Outstanding Restaurant Manager Award, and the 2010 Ray Kroc Award given to the top one percent of managers in the country. He later owned Beefcake Burgers in the Greenwood Mall and introduced the burgers to Greencastle through Charlie’s, the Putnam County Comprehensive Services restaurant and training facility, before opening the Bobby Hopper Insurance Agency on Longcastle Drive.