Secretary embezzled from church with her estranged husband — the pastor, NC cops say
A church secretary in Eastern North Carolina is accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars with the help of the pastor — who happens to be her estranged husband, law enforcement said.
Wendi Wishnefsky McLamb, 52, turned herself in Wednesday to the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office on embezzlement and felony conspiracy charges, a spokesperson told McClatchy News. There is an outstanding arrest warrant for her husband, 54-year-old Ransom Wade McLamb Jr.
Wendi McLamb’s bond was set at $150,000, the spokesperson said.
According to arrest warrants, Wendi McLamb was the secretary and treasurer at Sabbath Home Baptist Church, where Ransom McLamb was the pastor.
Sabbath Home is in Supply, North Carolina, an unincorporated community tucked midway between Wilmington and North Myrtle Beach in Brunswick County. A representative from the church didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on Wednesday.
The couple is accused of embezzling $136,036 from the church over six years using debit and credit cards as well as “banking transactions.” The alleged scheme lasted from January 2014 to December 2020.
Wendi McLamb’s home address is less than 500 feet from the church, according to the arrest warrant. Ransom McLamb is listed as living at an address in nearby Bolton, North Carolina.
A representative with the sheriff’s office described the couple as “estranged.”
