By Johnathan Weitzel
SPD Corporal
On Saturday, November 18, 2023 officers were dispatched to the United Methodist Church (2002 4th Avenue, Scottsbluff) in reference to a possible embezzlement. Contact was made an employee of the church, who informed officers that there was an Associate Pastor who appeared to be stealing money from the parish. The United Methodist Church includes churches in Henry, Mitchell, Morrill, and Scottsbluff.
Officers were provided with bank statements showing numerous unauthorized ATM withdraws, from the Mitchell Methodist Church account, totaling more than $8,000.
It was determined that the only person who had access to the debit card was Pastor Joseph Schumacher Jr., age 42 of Mitchell.
It was also determined that Mitchell Methodist Church had written Pastor Joseph Schumacher Jr. a check for more than $4,000 to attend schooling which was not done. However, the check had been cashed.
The total amount of money that was taken by Pastor Joeseph Schumacher Jr. is at least $12,000.
On November 22, 2023 Pastor Joseph Schumacher Jr. was arrested for Unauthorized Use of a Financial Transaction Device more that $5,000 a Class IIA Felony and Theft by Deception more than $1,500 Less than $5,000 a Class IV Felony.