Milton woman accused of embezzling nearly $165,000 from church, Bible college

MILTON, Fla. – A former secretary for a Milton church has been arrested for allegedly embezzling from the church and Bible college where she worked, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has announced.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) said its agents arrested Lisa Michelle Hively, 55, of Milton, on one count of organized scheme to defraud and one count of grand theft, both first-degree felonies.

According to the FDLE, its investigation began in February 2022 when agents looked into allegations of potential embezzling by employees of a local church. Investigators conducted forensic audits of the church’s finances and interviewed Hively.

Agents said they found that Hively, who served as secretary of the church and Bible college from 2008 to 2021, had embezzled approximately $164,716 from her employer between 2015 and 2021.

The investigation is alleged to show that Hively, whose duties included writing checks to pay church bills, would write checks from the church or Bible college and deposit them into her personal bank account.

Investigators said that she then altered the church’s financial ledger to disguise the payments.

Hively turned herself into the Escambia County Jail last week and was booked on a $30,000 bond. The case will be prosecuted by the State Attorney’s Office, First Judicial Circuit.