Pastor Resigns After Allegedly Committing Insurance Fraud to Pay for Drug Habit
Months after he claimed thieves broke into his home and stole $11,000 worth of valuables, Pastor Justin White, an elder at First Christian Church in Columbus, Indiana, was arrested Friday on charges including fraud.
According to WTHR, White was arrested after Columbus police claimed he lied about the widely reported alleged burglary at his home on Dec. 18, 2016.
Church members and neighbors had made donations to the White family after he said someone broke in and ransacked his home between 8:30 and noon, stealing more than $11,000 worth of valuables, electronics, small appliances, jewelry and his youngest daughter Lila's piggy bank.
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"She uses a big plastic bottle as a piggy bank and she said, 'dad! My money's gone,'" White said at the time. "It was all gone except for one quarter. They left one quarter there. The rest was gone."
The pastor's claim moved members of his community in an unexpected way. Neighbors and church members started delivering bags full of coins to replace the money his daughter lost.
"Ziploc bags full of coins to be put back in my daughter's piggy bank," Pastor White explained last December. "One was anonymous. Another was from a staff member. A mom brought her two preschool daughters over and they had bags full of coins for Lila. The fact that it comes from a child to a child makes it special."
A Fox 59 report says even two members of the Columbus Police Department used their own money to reportedly replace White's allegedly stolen television.
In a stunning turn of events on Friday, however, police say White staged the burglary with a juvenile through Facebook messenger. He knew the juvenile reportedly from buying heroin and pain pills from him.
According to the police, the juvenile said the pastor left his house open and had a list of items for the minor to take as a way of paying off his drug debt. White allegedly planned to get paid from his insurance company.
On Friday night, he was arrested at his home on felony charges of insurance fraud and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Officials at First Christian Church said White had planned on announcing his resignation from the church on Sunday, and discuss what he has been going through for the past two years, according to The Republic. But his arrest on Friday made that impossible.
Steve Wiggins, chairman of the church's elder board, was forced to announce White's resignation instead and he told the congregation that the arrested pastor had resigned during a meeting with elders on March 12.
Wiggins said White told elders he decided to resign because it would be best for the church and himself. He told elders on Dec. 24, less than a week after he reported his home being burglarized, that police suspected him of staging the crime but denied the allegation.
Reacting to White's arrest Monday, former associate Pastor at First Christian Church Al White, said he was grieved by what was happening to his friend.
"Pam and I are grieved over the recent development with our friend Justin, and can't even begin to understand the impact this will have upon Michelle and the kids, First Christian church family and the Columbus community in the days to come," he said.
"We certainly don't know all the details behind the situation, and will let the legal process take its course, and will pray and welcome God's extra grace for Justin and God's prevailing peace over the family, the staff, leadership and the church family. God's truth and love will prevail, and Jesus' precious Bride at FCC will rise up through this and continue to become the better Bride of Christ," he added.
First Christian Church held a prayer service Sunday evening for White and his family as well as for the church and the community.
Columbus Police Department officials said Monday that the case remains under investigation.
