Former Amelia Baptist Church Secretary Faces Embezzlement Charges Exceeding $570,000

Melissa Ganey English, 44, has been charged with embezzling over $570,000 from Amelia Baptist Church in Nassau County, where she served as financial secretary for 11 years. The embezzlement, which spanned from January 2019 to October 2024, was uncovered when new members of the church's financial committee noticed discrepancies in bank records. Investigators revealed that English used a church credit card for personal expenses, including luxury items and vacations, leading to significant unauthorized charges each year. She embezzled nearly $40,000 in 2019, almost $90,000 in 2020, over $100,000 in 2021, approximately $125,000 in 2022, and more than $123,000 in 2023. English was terminated after the discrepancies were found, and a contractor hired by the church confirmed numerous fraudulent charges. She faces grand theft charges for her actions, which the Nassau County Sheriff described as a serious breach of trust that has affected the church community.