A Florida church secretary allegedly used church money for years to fund cruises, airfare, hotels, shopping, entertainment, personal credit-card payments and extra payroll deposits, turning what church leaders first believed was a roughly $300,000 loss into an alleged theft approaching $600,000.
The YouTube channel CrimeCamNow reviewed bodycam footage and investigative records from the case involving Amelia Baptist Church in Nassau County, where two newly appointed finance officials contacted law enforcement in November 2024 after discovering suspicious activity tied to a church credit card issued to financial secretary Melissa Poor.
According to the channel, Poor was later charged with first-degree grand theft involving more than $100,000. As of June 2026, a judge had ordered an initial $20,000 restitution payment, while additional restitution and the final outcome of the criminal case were still pending.
New Finance Leaders Begin Looking At The Books
CrimeCamNow said the investigation began after leadership changes inside the church exposed financial records that had previously received less scrutiny.
A church representative told deputies that two men who had overseen finances died near the end of 2023, leaving newly appointed people responsible for the accounts.
As they tried to gain access to banking information and considered moving the church’s business to another bank, they began reviewing credit-card statements and other records.
By Oct. 29, church officials said they had enough information to believe a card issued directly to Poor had been used for personal expenses.
A church representative described charges for cruises, airfare and other purchases that clearly had nothing to do with church operations.
Poor was confronted and, according to the representative speaking with deputies, admitted making personal charges and unauthorized electronic transfers.
At that stage, she allegedly estimated the amount at around $300,000 going back to 2019.
She was terminated from her position on Oct. 31.
Investigators Say The Loss Was Much Larger
Once investigators began examining years of statements, CrimeCamNow said the amount rose dramatically.
The channel described a pattern beginning in 2019 in which Poor allegedly used the church’s card for unauthorized purchases, then used money from church bank accounts to pay down those balances.
Church officials also told deputies she allegedly transferred money to her own personal credit cards and issued herself additional payroll payments.
That detail is important because the alleged scheme was not limited to making purchases directly on the church card.
Investigators were looking at several methods by which money allegedly moved from church accounts for Poor’s personal benefit.
In 2019 alone, CrimeCamNow reported nearly $40,000 in alleged losses through fraudulent card transactions, personal credit-card payments and unauthorized payroll.
The amount allegedly increased substantially in 2020.
By 2021, investigators were documenting spending at retailers, travel companies and entertainment businesses, along with tens of thousands of dollars used to pay Poor’s personal cards.
Cruises, Hotels And A Grand Canyon Helicopter Ride
The purchases described by CrimeCamNow read less like ordinary household expenses and more like years of discretionary spending.
Investigators allegedly found charges connected to Amazon, SeaWorld, Southwest Airlines, Hyatt Orlando, Topgolf Jacksonville, rental-car companies, clothing retailers and insurance payments.
One of the more striking expenses was a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon.
By 2022, the channel said Poor had allegedly spent nearly $125,000 in church funds on a mix of purchases that included cruise lines, Airbnb stays and concert tickets.
Another roughly $123,000 was allegedly taken in 2023 through purchases involving Amazon, hotels, Walmart and other expenses.
The spending continued into 2024, CrimeCamNow said, with more than $90,000 allegedly going toward cruises, baseball tickets, hotels and additional personal costs.
Taken together, investigators concluded that the total was close to $600,000 over six years.
For a church, that is not simply a bookkeeping problem. Money that members believed was supporting ministry, staff, property and community work was allegedly being diverted for years without being noticed.
Church Officials Say She Used Church Money To Cover The Card
During the initial meeting with deputies, church representatives walked through statements showing how the balances had allegedly been managed.
One officer initially wondered whether highlighted payments reflected Poor using her own money to reimburse the church.
The church representative corrected him.
According to the representative, Poor was allegedly using money from the church’s bank account to pay off the church credit card after putting personal expenses on it.
That meant the debt was being cleared without restoring anything to the church.
The same representative said some legitimate business expenses could be identified, such as a small recurring Adobe charge, while many others were obviously unrelated to church work.
He also pointed out that Poor had allegedly maxed out the credit card twice in 2024.
When deputies asked whether the card could be specifically tied to her, church officials said her name appeared on it.
That documentation became an important part of building the case.
Deputies Later Arrive With An Arrest Warrant
CrimeCamNow said a warrant was eventually issued, and Baker County deputies went to take Poor into custody.
Family members appeared surprised because they said Poor had already spoken with the lead Nassau County investigator and believed she was scheduled to turn herself in the following morning.
Deputies explained that the situation had changed once an active warrant was confirmed.
“We have a warrant signed by a judge,” one deputy said, explaining that they could not simply leave after locating her.
Poor and her family repeatedly asked why officers could not honor what they believed had been an arrangement for the next day.
The deputies remained relatively patient, telling them that people sometimes claim they will surrender voluntarily and then disappear.
From law enforcement’s perspective, once they were dispatched to a known location and confirmed the warrant, they said they were required to make the arrest.
Poor eventually came outside and cooperated.
Poor Complains About Being Posted As “Wanted”
One of the more emotional portions of the bodycam footage came when Poor and her family complained about seeing her face on the sheriff’s office Facebook page.
Poor said she had discovered the wanted post herself while browsing Facebook and immediately contacted authorities.
She objected to the public attention, saying people were taking photographs of her home and apparently believing there was a reward connected to finding her.
“I’m not some horrible evil person,” she told deputies, while also expressing concern for her children.
Her family argued that authorities already knew where she lived and could have contacted her directly.
The deputies said they could not speak for how Nassau County handled its social-media posts, noting that their own agency generally used Facebook primarily when trying to identify someone.
The complaint does not change the seriousness of the allegations, but it does show how quickly an arrest warrant can become a public event once law enforcement posts a suspect’s image online.
Case Remains Unfinished
CrimeCamNow reported that Poor was charged with grand theft over $100,000, a first-degree felony, based on allegations that she unlawfully used church funds for more than half a million dollars in personal expenses.
On June 3, 2026, a judge ordered her to pay an initial $20,000 in restitution within 60 days.
The channel said further restitution and the final disposition of the grand-theft charge remained unresolved.
That means the case should not be treated as completely finished.
Poor is accused of a massive breach of trust, but any pending criminal charge remains an allegation unless and until it results in a conviction.
Still, the financial records described by church officials and investigators paint a remarkable picture of how alleged embezzlement can grow when one person controls money over a long period without enough independent review.
What began as a church credit card meant for legitimate expenses allegedly became a six-year pipeline for travel, shopping, entertainment and personal bills, with the true scale only becoming apparent after new people finally started looking closely at the books.
Raised in a small Arizona town, Kevin grew up surrounded by rugged desert landscapes and a family of hunters. His background in competitive shooting and firearms training has made him an authority on self-defense and gun safety. A certified firearms instructor, Kevin teaches others how to properly handle and maintain their weapons, whether for hunting, home defense, or survival situations. His writing focuses on responsible gun ownership, marksmanship, and the role of firearms in personal preparedness.
