How A Church Secretary Stole $570K For 5 Years

Melissa Ganey English — also known in court records as Melissa Ganey Rhoden — served as the financial secretary at Amelia Baptist Church in Fernandina Beach, Florida, for approximately 11 years. According to the Nassau County Sheriff's Office, between January 2019 and October 2024 she used a church-issued credit card, personal credit card payments and additional payroll payments to herself to take more than $570,000 in church funds for personal expenses. Court documents and investigators describe purchases including Amazon and Walmart orders, flights, hotel stays, Airbnb rentals, cruises, concert tickets, sporting events, amusement park tickets and a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon. It came to light in October 2024 when two new members of the church's financial committee reviewed bank documents and noticed the funds were lower than they should have been. Pastor Forrest Jones said the employee overseeing financial operations admitted to wrongdoing and was terminated immediately, and that the church reported it to the sheriff's office and cooperated fully. A warrant was issued March 25, 2025. English was featured in a Nassau County Sheriff's Office "Wanted Wednesday" post on April 9, 2025, and was located and taken into custody in Baker County two days later. Her arrest was captured on body-worn camera. She is charged with grand theft over $100,000, a first-degree felony. On June 3, 2026, a judge ordered her to pay $20,000 in restitution to the church within 60 days — an order that states it represents only a fraction of what is owed and that DOES NOT resolve the criminal charge. ⚖️ IMPORTANT: Melissa Ganey English has been CHARGED, not convicted. She is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Every allegation here comes from the Nassau County Sheriff's Office, court documents, or published reporting. Nothing in this video should be taken as a statement of guilt. 📁 SOURCES • Nassau County Sheriff's Office press release, April 2025 • Body-worn camera footage — Florida public record, Ch. 119, Fla. Stat. • Court filings, Nassau County; restitution order dated June 3, 2026 • News4JAX, First Coast News, Fernandina Observer, Nassau NewsLine, Baptist Press, MinistryWatch