David Townley Pleads Guilty to $86K Church Heist

David Townley, 59, of Raytown, Mo., is facing decades behind bars after pleading guilty to stealing $86,297 from two Kansas City-area churches over a seven-year crime spree. The former business manager and volunteer exploited his roles at Nativity of Mary in Independence and Sacred Heart of Guadalupe in Kansas City to siphon off donations, tuition payments, and church funds through a calculated scheme of fraud and deception.

Townley admitted in federal court to one count of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, and one count of tax evasion, stemming from a June 29, 2016, indictment. As business manager at Nativity of Mary from 2006 to 2013, he manipulated tuition deposits, recording full amounts in school logs while depositing less into the church’s account at Blue Ridge Bank and Trust—funneling the difference into his own pockets. The electronic processing of checks through the Federal Reserve system triggered the wire fraud charge.

At Sacred Heart of Guadalupe, where Townley volunteered from 2002 to 2013, he abused his control over finances by cashing 20 church checks totaling $47,705—many made out to third parties like the Society of the Precious Blood and the Diocese of Kansas City—and depositing them into his personal accounts. U.S. Bank mailed statements to the church, a paper trail that formed the basis of the mail fraud count.

Bank records show Townley funneled the stolen money primarily to erase mounting credit card debt. The total loss breaks down to $34,131 from third-party checks cashed illegally, $32,194 from unauthorized Nativity of Mary checks, and $19,971 skimmed directly from parents’ cash tuition payments. The full haul: $86,297 in stolen church funds.

Townley also admitted to failing to file federal income tax returns from 2005 through 2013, despite earning between $54,633 and $115,721 annually. By falsifying church records and hiding illicit income, he dodged $59,322 in federal taxes—a crime that now stands as a separate charge in the indictment.

Under federal law, Townley faces up to 45 years in prison without parole. No sentencing date has been set pending a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and IRS-Criminal Investigation.