TULSA, Okla. — Federal prosecutors say a former Tulsa church deacon used his financial authority inside the church to move nearly $1.5M.
Federal prosecutors charged the former business manager and later parish manager at Parish of Christ the King, John Sommer, with bank fraud and unlawful monetary transactions on April 23.
Sommer is featured here in a post on the church's social media:
According to federal court documents, Sommer worked for the parish from 2011 through October 2025. In his role, he could initiate ACH transfers of up to $30,000 a day without additional approval.
Prosecutors allege that between March 11 and October 8 of 2025, he made at least 77 unauthorized ACH transfers from church accounts at Vast Bank to accounts he owned and controlled, totaling approximately $1.57 million.
WATCH: Fired Tulsa church deacon charged with bank fraud:
The filing said he kept those transfers under the $30,000 limit to avoid detection and altered church accounting records to make them appear to be legitimate payments to vendors, including payroll and retirement service providers.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said the church's total loss is approximately $1.46 million.
In a statement, Christ the King says Sommer admitted to unauthorized transfers, and church leaders placed him on leave from the ministry on October 8, 2025. His employment ended on October 31, 2025.
Sommer could not be reached for comment on April 29 when 2 News Oklahoma knocked on his front door. A Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma webpage lists him as a deacon and "On Leave of Absence."
The parish recovered $1M through insurance, with a plan to cover the rest.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for Northern District of Oklahoma told 2 News IRS agents served a warrant on Sommer. He appears before a judge on May 1.
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