Thomas Pleads Guilty in Fraud Case

Muskingum Co.- A church pastor has plead guilty to one count of felony telecommunications fraud.

The Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office said 41-year-old Anthony Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of felony telecommunications fraud.

On October 10, 2023, law enforcement took a report from a representative of the Coburn United Methodist Church in Zanesville, alleging that the pastor had been using church funds without the church council’s permission.

Authorities said beginning on September 1, 2021, Thomas spent about $7,400 using the church’s credit card and transferred an additional $2,500 to himself via check. The council’s findings had been confirmed by an audit performed for the church.

Thomas admitted to church representatives about the discrepancies, and he admitted to using the money for personal use.

Thomas later wrote an apology letter to the church council, claiming he had intended to eventually repay the money he stole from the congregation.

Thomas has since been reassigned to a United Methodist Church in Brooksville, OH. His sentencing will take place at a later date.