'The sin grew': Woman accused of stealing over $255K from church
A Connecticut woman is facing charges that she stole more than $255,000 from a congregation where she had served as financial administrator.
Diane Devlin, a 42-year-old resident of Fairfield, has been charged with first-degree larceny in the theft of about $255,000 from Southern Connecticut Church of Christ, reported CT Insider.
According to authorities, the church treasurer reached out to police in June 2025 about Devlin possibly having misappropriated approximately $18,000 from church bank accounts. When first confronted by church leaders about the missing money, Devlin tried to blame an issue with accounting software, according to the arrest warrant.
By November, the treasurer had conducted further review of the church’s records and asked authorities to investigate as Devlin had allegedly diverted another $200,000 from accounts.
Police reported that Devlin allegedly used church money for personal expenses, including a $148.38 restaurant bill, credit card bills, and a “double chin reducer lifting mask” for $14.83.
She also allegedly sent some of the funds to an entity in which she was a principal, CT Insider reported. Police put the total amount stolen at $255,054.41.
According to the police warrant, Devlin “confessed to falsifying church documents in order to steal money from the church” at a June 2025 meeting with church leaders.
“I remember connecting the church account to my credit card. I remember feeling like no one would understand and that it wouldn’t be so bad. I told myself I would pay it back — and at times, I did — but I was constantly trying to fix what was unraveling,” she allegedly said in a written statement to a church leader, according to the warrant.
"I began lying to myself, minimizing what I was doing … I didn't bring it into the light. I hid. I justified. I functioned through it. And because I didn't stop, the sin grew," she wrote.
Devlin, whose alleged thefts go as far back as 2021, turned herself in to Fairfield police on Oct. 13, according to the Stamford Advocate, and posted a $25,000 bond.
She is next scheduled to appear at state Superior Court in Bridgeport on Nov. 20, according to CT Insider.
In November 2024, Influence magazine cited research from the Center for the Study of Global Christianity of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary estimating that said embezzlement would cost Christian ministry organizations worldwide around $70 billion that year.
“As an auditor who has investigated fraud in churches and nonprofits for more than 30 years, I’ve seen firsthand how these issues impact all areas of ministry,” wrote Rollie Dimos for Influence.
“Damage from financial scandals typically extends far beyond the immediate loss. Donor confidence also takes a hit, along with the church’s reputation in the community.”
