Can I go there real quick? >> Yeah. >> Love you. >> I love you. >> Oh, I don't if I can get it off. Do I have to take it off when I get there? >> Yeah, if you can take it off, it' be better. >> I love you. Thank you. >> Everything's out. Everything. >> Everything's out. Okay. Okay. >> A church in Fernandina Beach, Florida. About 400 members. For 11 years, one woman handled all of its money. Investigators say that for five of those years, some of that money was going somewhere it was never meant to go. cruises, flights, hotels, Amazon orders, and [clears throat] according to court documents, a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon Amelia Baptist Church sits on Buccaneer Trail in Fernandina [music] Beach on Amelia Island in Nassau County, Florida, Southern Baptist Congregation, around 400 members. The kind of church where the same faces show up on a Sunday for 20 years. Melissa Gayy English, who court records also list under her former name. Rhden worked there as the financial secretary, not a volunteer, not a committee member. The financial [music] secretary, the person responsible for maintaining the church's financial records. She held that position for approximately 11 years. Think about what 11 years in a small church means. She would have known [music] the offering counts. She would have known which families were struggling. She would have cut the checks [music] for the ministries. She would have been at the funerals in late 2024. Two new members joined the church's financial [music] committee. >> Are you the owner of this house? >> It's my son-in-law. Him and his wife are inside. They have a paper. >> Hi. >> Hey. How you doing? We're looking for Melissa English. >> Where? >> She's got a warrant out of Nassau County. >> Okay. >> She here. >> Um, >> she just need to go see a judge. >> So, she she's been on the phone with the guy. Yeah, she already has a thing scheduled for tomorrow morning >> at 9 a.m. There's been a detective from Nassau County, >> the lead detective on the case >> and they called us to get get a hold of >> that's fine. >> She's already got a hold of them. >> So, can y'all call and confirm that, please? >> They called us to come. >> Y'all want they want y'all to take her? >> Correct. >> Can I ask when this happened? >> It happened uh 20 minutes ago. >> Okay. Are y'all able to call the Lee investigator? We have a warrant signed by a judge. We have to take >> otherwise I can't provide my >> No, no. You get what I'm saying? >> Yeah. >> No, I'm just trying to understand what's happening. >> You can turn yourself in at this time. Why is it no longer being abided [music] by? Does that make sense? >> You got you got to imagine >> so many people have told us we're not we'll meet you there tomorrow and [music] >> can I handle it though? Okay. >> Okay. Well, no, no, no. They can stay here. You go handle it. >> Y'all y'all come over. >> No, no, no. Hold on. I have to test this. This is my husband's property. Can I just talk to him real quick, please? This that back half's not ours. >> Where? Where is she? >> She's just outside. I was confused why lead investigator said >> that's fine. [music] >> I don't know how this works. That makes sense. I mean, look at me. I >> So, she's going to have to go to our our our sheriff's office. She'll get transferred to Nassau County tomorrow. >> Okay. >> She'll see a judge. She'll talk to the investigator. The investigator might come to us. >> Why they say I can just come in every morning? >> 27. >> Well, they asked for us to come pick you up. You got to imagine working tomorrow and then they gone. >> Can we can we do this? Like, and I don't know if we can or not. >> Can we y'all follow or whatever? Can we take her to Nassau now so there's not a transport deal? >> No. She can if if she was going to bond out tomorrow >> is to my understand. >> She can still bond out with us. >> Do I need to let the bell bondsman know that I'm now in Baker County? >> You can if you're going to claim police. >> Save all the phone numbers. Just attorney bondsman. Whatever. [clears throat] >> Is the detective. >> Okay. >> That [music] is the entire reason this case exists. Not an audit, not a tip, not a detective. Two ordinary people who joined a volunteer committee and [music] started reading the paperwork. According to investigators, one of them went through the bank documents and noticed something simple. The funds were lower than they should have been. [music] So, they kept going. And because English was the person in charge of all the financial records, they pulled the statements for a [music] church credit card one that had been issued directly to her. The sheriff's office says what they found was hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal expenses on an account designated for church purposes only. That was October 2024. Pastor Forest Jones later told the congregation that the church discovered evidence of financial irregularities, that the employee overseeing financial operations admitted [music] to wrongdoing and that her employment was terminated immediately. The church then hired a contractor [music] to go back through the records properly. So again, there there's a bond set on the warrant. So anytime you have a bond set on a warrant, whether you go to that jurisdiction or another, you could still bond out on that warrant. Okay? I'm not saying that you have to sit in jail all night long. It all depends on if you come up with the bond and the bondsman, whatever the case may be. Okay? >> So not necessarily that you're going to get transported to Nassau County. You could get out within a few hours. You may not even change your clothes if your bondsman gets served fast enough with a bomb. >> Okay. >> You need to call him and let her know that you're [clears throat] going. >> Does she think arguing is helping anything right now? >> No, she's just confused. She said, "Well, she had a thing for tomorrow." And I said, "I know. Does it matter?" >> We do understand that. However, if we get a call and we make contact with the individual has the warrant, we can't walk away. >> That's that's the only thing. that like was >> when we they told us it wasn't like she has a meeting at 9:00 a.m. want to confirm it was. >> Here is what that review is alleged to have found. From January 2019 to October 2020, for 5 years and 9 months, investigators say more than $570,000 of church money went to personal expenses. Court documents in the sheriff's office described three routes. Unauthorized charges on the church credit card, personal credit card payments made with church funds, and additional payroll payments to herself. And the list of what it allegedly paid for is the part that has traveled around the internet. Amazon orders, Walmart purchases, flights, [music] hotel stays, Airbnb rentals, cruises, concert tickets, sporting events, amusement park [music] tickets, including SeaWorld, and a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon. $570,000 is not a moment of weakness. Spread across 5 years, it is roughly $98,000 a year every year from a 400 member congregation's collection plate. Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leaper called it a significant breach of trust that deeply impacted the church community. He said the suspect abused her position of trust for years using church funds meant for ministry and community service to instead fund a personal lifestyle. The church reported it to the Nassau County Sheriff's Office and detectives took the case. On the 25th of [music] March, 2025, a warrant was issued for her arrest. >> Yeah. I don't I don't know. >> And no one contacted me. Like >> So there was like on the sheriff's office page that they put the wanted thing out. >> That's how I found out. >> Yeah. I I got on Facebook just hanging out here with her earlier and saw my face on a wanted poster and like so I called $3,000 thing. So we've been here because people people have been at our house, >> right? But taking pictures of you. So, we live in Camden County. >> I live in Camden County. Yeah. >> So, like they couldn't have called the sheriff's office in Camden County and just said, "Here's where she lives." >> They could have. >> That's the Facebook thing is crazy. >> Cameron probably could already been out to your house. I don't believe. >> I mean, I was there until this when I came here. But, >> but the crazy thing is now all these crazy people think they're going to get a $3,000 reward cuz I'm on the run or something and they're like sending pictures of my house like on all these ransom race stuff. Like, I have children. Nobody thinks about that. Like I'm not some horrible evil person that deserves to be like witch mauved, you know, like >> and my children and damn sure don't. >> I can only speak about like what we do for Baker and usually if we do anything on our Facebook, it's usually reaching out to try [music] to identify somebody. We don't >> we don't it posted it that said wanted like there's a word. I'm like >> not just wanted. >> How about try contacting me first? I would have. >> And then something happened that is genuinely modern. The Nassau County Sheriff's Office runs a social media feature called Wanted Wednesday. Every week, they post people with active warrants and ask the public for help. On the 9th of April, 2025, English was featured in one of those posts. 2 days later, she was located, not by surveillance, not by a task force, by a sheriff's office Facebook post and the people who saw it. She was found and detained in Baker County about 70 mi west of the church and taken into custody by Baker County deputies. I'm >> glad they come in rather than have this. >> Um, you still have your ID on you pocket. That's the only thing. You'll just have to leave the chapstick out of the reach of the kids. >> Out of the reach of the kids. >> Um, and you'll go a step to your right. >> You're good. You're good. >> You'll have zero problems. >> Let her have a seat. We're good. We're good. >> Just please stay on the bell, please. >> It's in my text. >> Okay. >> Can I come here real quick? >> Yeah. >> You want to keep your thumb ring? >> Oh, if I can get it off. Do I have to take it off when I get there? >> Yeah, if you can take it off, it' be better. >> I love you. Just don't worry. Okay. >> As fast as I'm working as fast as I can. >> Thank you. >> Out. Everything. >> Everything's out. Okay. Okay. >> Love you. >> Love you. >> All right. Just a quick ride. Okay. >> Nassau County publicly thanked them for locating her and taking her in swiftly. Her arrest was captured on bodywn camera. And this is the part that surprises people who come to this channel for traffic stops and foot chases. Nothing happens. There is no struggle. No shouting, no running. A woman is told she has a warrant and she is arrested and that is the whole of it. Half a million dollars, 5 years, an entire congregation and the arrest itself is over in minutes. Quietly in another county, she was charged with grand theft over $100,000. In Florida, that is a first-degree felony, the most serious grade below a capital or life felony. She pleaded not guilty. One [music] charge, not 50 counts. One size to the total. [music] Her case has moved slowly, the way financial cases do. Pre-trial hearings. An attorney, Nicole Jameson, appearing on her behalf. A trial date set for April 2026 with jury selection scheduled to begin on the 10th. [music] And then on the 3rd of June 2026, a judge signed a restitution order. $20,000 to be paid to Amelia Baptist Church within 60 days. 20,000 against an alleged $570. The [music] order itself says that figure is only a fraction of what is owed and that the court may order more later. [music] And it says one more thing that matters for this video. It does not resolve the grand theft charge. She has not been convicted. As of this recording, the [music] charge is still live and she is presumed innocent. I want to end on the church because they are the ones left holding this. Pastor Forest [music] Jones said leadership reported the theft to the sheriff's office, cooperated fully with detectives, and that no evidence was found that any other member, employee, or pastor did anything wrong. And then [music] he said this, that the last few months had been incredibly hurtful and difficult. that it would be easy to become distracted from their main mission as a church and that Amelia Baptist remains committed to the values that make them a church family. That is a remarkably calm thing to say about half a million dollars. There is a version of this story that is funny. The Grand Canyon helicopter. Uh, do you want to sit or stand? Cuz we we can sit here, but I know you have all that stuff on. >> Yeah, >> whatever. Or we can go down here. >> We don't typically fit in them. in chairs very well. So, >> yeah, actually kind of get. >> Okay. >> Um, >> how you doing? I'm Carrie. >> Kyle, >> Henry, >> how you doing? Nice to meet you. >> Um, [snorts] there's some ladies down there working on stuff. >> So, Carrie is the chairman of our trustees. Okay. >> So, he is kind of the legal officer of the church, one of the pastors. Um and so you know that we wanted to make the report today with you guys to get the ball rolling so we can get turned over to detectives and all that stuff. So >> um basically what happened is back on so kind of the the moment we knew exactly what was happening would have been October 29th. >> We were able to obtain some bank information, credit card receipts that showed that our financial secretary or the credit card issued to our financial secretary was being used for personal charges. Okay. >> Um, cruises, airfare, all sorts of stuff. Um, there was definitely not church related business. >> Uh, we confronted her about that. She admitted to having made the charges and to also having done like electronic transfers >> um that were not church related. And um so in that discussion with her, she she put a ballpark at probably approximately $300,000 over the course of >> um since 2019. >> She admitted that >> she Yes. Those are the numbers she gave us >> since 20 when >> 19. Um so, you know, we're we have been trying to get bank records and stuff. We don't have all of those yet. Um, and so I know there's going to be a lot to kind of slog through with detectives of looking into all you >> putting all [clears throat] the pieces into place. Um, but we just need to get this >> first part started to um to be able to move forward with that. It's going to let me just get some stuff down here. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. I apolog I don't have all of her I What's her What's her name? >> Melissa Rhoden. >> I think I found her in locals. Okay. >> Uh sorry. And I think I told the dispatcher 2Ds. It's 1D. R H O D. >> Okay. >> Melissa. Uh this is the address I know for her. This county. >> Yeah, that's the one locals. She's got a UI address also. >> Okay. Yeah, I think that's probably who knows. Um, [snorts] [clears throat] >> she was terminated as of the 31st of this of October October in that discussion that she um admitted to what she had done. [snorts] How far back do you guys have financial records to as of right now? Um I know we had into 202 Well, yeah, the credit card that we first saw was from 2023. >> Okay. >> Um starting in like December 2023 going into, you know, up to current. Um and then >> I know our accountant and everybody has been requesting regers and getting them in. So I don't know how many they have on hand at this time. Okay. I know the credit cards they sent us the wrong one and we had to so we're probably we had to start over again requesting. >> Was it multiple credit cards or was it just the one? >> Just the one that we you that was issued to her. Um we don't she says she didn't use the others. We we haven't seen anything on the others. >> Um there are lots of other credit cards for church but >> Okay. >> Um that's the one that we know of. >> Okay. >> Did y'all lock that credit card down? >> Well, so >> or close that account all together? >> Well, what happened? [music] We Okay, so if you want the whole backstory, I was trying to give you all the like career digest. [music] >> Um kind of our guys that were over finance both passed away at the end of 2023. >> So, we got new people over finance. Um and so, um Karen, who's over finance, was pushing to get access to all this stuff because she wasn't on all the accounts and everything she'd been pushing. Uh, and then we were also looking at moving to a new bank because just things were not, you know, things weren't working right. Well, >> in the process of all that, the bank actually cancelled all of our credit cards. >> Mhm. >> And so, we didn't have to cancel them. They actually, you know, in a snafu on their part had canceled all of our credit cards. >> Um, and so really, so there wasn't ongoing as in like up to the last few weeks. It had been a month or two before that that the last charges were made just because they had canceled her trip. >> Okay. >> And so we had gotten new cards but she hadn't gotten one of those yet. Um, in when the year started, she had moved into kind of a part-time remote status more and so we that was kind of the struggle of getting records from her and everything and so she was kind of dragging her feet which >> when you talk to them see if they can get something that shows is each is each card that's issued have a different number to it? Does that make sense? Yeah, I I think >> And do you have something do you have something on file that shows which card is issued to which person? >> Um it has our names on it. So like So >> yeah, my point being is tying that particular card to her. >> Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, I know. Um so I'm saying her card uh has her name, you know, like our church cards say Ameilia Battis, but it has our name on it as well. I got you. >> And then she was the only person in possession with that card. So, um, but yeah, and so we have, um, yeah, so I have a copy of a statement, kind of her summary statement. Um, and yeah, we got power company, we got lots of Walmart.com, Amazon, those kind of things. Um, but like insurance payments, all stuff. She admitted that all of those [music] were fraudulent. in her conversations with us. Um, I see that. >> Yeah, absolutely. >> As what's highlighted, what's >> um I think the highlight that's where she paid down the balance. So, she's racking up charges and then she's paying trying to cover it up. >> She's using church money to pay that off. >> That That's where the That's where you're getting. >> Okay. >> I thought she was trying to make do make right using her personal money to >> No, no, no. She's using church credit card >> the taking from the church bank account to pay off that credit card >> which is where we're getting this large sum because >> she's down a balance to and then also the electronic transfers are >> um you know paying personal bills and and those kind of things. >> Do we know what's paid on here that's supposed to be for the church? Do we have a >> um yeah our our accountant our head of finance has done more of that. Um, when we looked at it, I mean, so this was kind of we they broke it down by who each payment was for. >> Like Adobe, like we'll say, okay, that's a church card. You know, that's a something we have to use here at the churches. >> Um, that's once a month for $20. >> Okay. >> But she maxed out the credit card like twice in 2024 for thousands of thous you know. >> Yeah. >> Carnival, not us, >> you know. uh >> you guys you guys you guys are the princess cruise line. [laughter] >> So celebrities >> and and even you can see where some of her [snorts] transactions are in different places. So when she went to like parttime with us, she took a job somewhere else. >> So her job taking her to like Colorado. Well, there's charges in Colorado. >> Yeah. >> There one of our church credit cards. So, some homework if y'all whenever you whenever you got these statements. This is going to be a lot of homework and I hate it, but if y'all can mark what is authorized >> and what is not authorized, that will make it easier on us. And honestly, if if we have all of that with everything that especially if we have something that ties her name to the card to the charges, >> um we don't even have to go through detectives. >> Yeah. It's easier that we can >> we'll we'll just we'll cut a warrant for her and it'll be done. >> Yeah, I think we would prefer because all right now all that ballpark number is just from her statements. So, we don't have the proof yet to >> we will we do we do >> I know John Casone is is working with us on this like he's representing because all right now all that ballpark number is just from her statements. So, we don't have the proof yet to >> Well, we we will we >> and I know John Casone is is working with us on this like he's representing us for uh and I know he was I think talking to the lieutenant over CID or or >> if he's talking to Lieutenant We can bring he's going to be asking about it. So, >> I mean if detectives want it, but I'm typically when we have a solid suspect, they just say go deal with this hand. Um yeah, there's there's still a lot more leg work I think to be done here >> to sh up things and really to get kind of a real figure cuz and that's why we haven't we haven't told people the church look at the bank statement >> say that number and not >> yet but uh but her statement is 300,000 and we have a bank account that's significantly less than what it should be. So, um, yeah, I mean that's Yeah. And so I I've talked to Karen and them um to make sure that they're available kind of beginning next week. Um, she's out of town today. Um, but that would be the one who discovered it and also handled all the finances to be able to kind of >> pinpoint a lot more. um and has all the bank we have all the bank statements so we can get those together and um but yeah I'll have her prepare one that shows what is >> yeah that >> authorized versus >> it's not that we mind doing it just makes it you guys you guys really know more so what >> yeah we can't you don't know what is church and what is not cuz some people just hand us statements and say have fun go figure it out we're like listen we don't know like >> yeah and that's the thing >> yeah we can't you don't know what is church and what is not >> some people just hand us statements and say have fun I guess we all know what's going on. We all know. >> Yeah. And that's the thing is I mean we're a church. We do have weird things that sometimes we spend money like again >> we do put people in hotels or stuff sometimes. Okay. You don't know what's what. >> We don't our financial materials on Christian stuff. [snorts] Um [clears throat] >> but yeah, so Carrie would really be kind of the would be the representing the victim here. I mean as the he's the legal officer of the church. >> Okay. Um, so I don't know if y'all need to list him as um the reporter or whatever. [music] And then I did give the dispatcher my phone number. That's my cell. >> Okay. >> Um, so if they might need [music] to reach out to me or whatever you >> um, you know, and I can arrange to have whoever available that they need 4129. >> Yeah. So once we get >> the 1099 mark documents like hey it's it's this is church this is not church and some format you know even to highlight like hey everything highlighted is approved or not approved >> that'll make it easier for us and then >> we'll have [clears throat] to pull bank statements too those a transfers >> document >> I guess if if she's claiming back >> yeah she went 2019. Have you got any you all up until then use the same bank that that time period? >> So we have switched in the last 30 days. Uh but prior to that we were at PNC. We still have an account open at PNC. >> Okay. >> Which is number before they became PNC. >> That's who they all >> was Wovia. Was that what the WI? >> No. Wovia became Wells Fargo, didn't they? >> I can't. >> Yes. >> I think Some of all they keep buying each other out names and getting dumber in the names, but >> all right. On the top there is the case number. I have both of our names and ID numbers. >> So that key card is specific to me. So mine's printed on there on there. Um but yeah, so we'll we'll we'll work on getting some more documentation together >> [music] >> um so that we can give that to you guys and um yeah, we can have Karen Karen would be one of the people that needs to kind of be involved and >> she she'll be able to kind of lay out what >> Okay, >> so if this makes sense um next week we're here Wednesday and Thursday and the following week after that we're here Monday, Tuesday and [music] Friday. Um, so if you guys get those, you can call anytime, but if you want to catch us directly, that's the time to catch us [snorts] holidays. [music] >> Yeah. >> Yeah, we have to get in the attic and pull out some [clears throat] >> Well, yeah, there are finest records in the attic that we have to like dig boxes and stuff. But yeah, I'll uh one of us reach out to this the the lieutenant also or the detective bureau and see if they he wants us just to forward it all directly to him or that we can streamline the process if they if they want us to send it right >> and again I'm not >> then we'll I don't I'm not trying to sell y'all they all can't handle it or anything. No, no, you're fine. No, I >> that my past life before I took the usual path of being a cop before I was a preacher. So I've done them all, [laughter] you know, and so uh and I know just sifting through all these bank records and everything just takes a lot of time. It's just >> Yeah. >> And >> yeah, I you know, I've been telling them if she says 2019 and 300,000, we should be looking at 2018 and more than 300,000 because people admit to what they think you know. >> They think they know, but probably a whole heck of a lot more. >> Yeah. And so I, you know, that's >> a lot of years to try to remember too. >> Yeah. >> When and yeah, go back and [snorts] see what all. So, um, >> who would you like to be the main point of contact if we've got to call y'all or if you have want something to contact information? Would it be you, you, sir? >> Probably call me. Um, and then, you know, if there's decision making stuff, I can get car. >> Okay. Um, that's why I got you just general information from me. So, I can just add you to the call and then if someone else gets information or something, we can just pull up the call and have you do it. What's your name, sir? >> Forest. F O R R E S T. >> Mhm. >> Jones. J. >> Middle initial. >> E. >> What's And the number that's on the call is your good number? >> Yeah. Okay. >> Got it. What's your birthday, Mr. Forest? >> 25. >> Yep. >> 82. >> Got it. Okay. All right. Yeah. When you get that more information, that's that'll make things a lot easier for us. And like he was saying to it, we'll contact the LT and if if he's good with us, handler once we get it, we can Sounds pretty positive that we can. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. So, >> all right. >> All right, gentlemen. If we don't hear from you guys see youall have a, you know, happy Thanksgiving. >> You, too. >> And you guys, of course. Of course. >> Yep. >> The SeaWorld tickets. The cruise is paid for out of a collection plate. The internet has been enjoying that version for over a year now. But underneath it is 400 people who put money in an envelope on a Sunday because they believed it was going to a ministry. The case has not been decided. A jury has not heard it. That still has to happen, but the ledger has already been read by two new committee members who joined, opened the folder, [music] and noticed the number was wrong. Melissa Gayy English has been charged with grand theft over $100,000. She has not been convicted and she is presumed innocent unless [music] proven guilty in a court of law.