VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Chesapeake man was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing from a Virginia Beach church where he was employed as an accountant.
The Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney said 46-year-old Andrew Patrick Landsperger spent over $34,000 in unauthorized transactions on his Amazon account using the Galilee Episcopal Church's credit card. Prosecutors said Landsperger also used his access to the church's payroll system to alter his approved salary, increasing it by nearly $135,000.
Prosecutors said Landsperger also stole money from the church parishioners' collection that was passed around during mass. Before Landsperger had access to the church's funds, the church received an average of $450 a week in donations. That amount dropped to under $200 per week. After Landsperger was fired, church officials noticed the donation levels immediately returned to their original levels. They estimated Landsperger stole approximately $7,000 in donations.
Landsperger was fired in August 2022 after his credit card fraud was discovered. Prosecutors said the church estimated it had lost about $176,536. The church was able to recover $112,324 through its insurance policy, leaving a total loss of about $64,199.
Landsperger pleaded guilty to charges of embezzlement and credit card fraud back in July. A judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison on October 25, with five years suspended. He was also ordered to pay $64,199 in restitution to Galilee Episcopal Church and $100,000 to the credit card company.
