Methodist Church Secretary Pleads Guilty of Embezzlement

The former secretary of the Mount Holly Springs United Methodist Church pleaded guilty today in Cumberland County Court to embezzling thousands of dollars from the church's emergency fund for the needy.

Jane Poth, 50, of Newville, pleaded guilty to one count of theft by unlawful taking, Senior Assistant District Attorney Daniel Sodus said. She has no plea agreement and investigators are still determining how much was taken, he said. Poth is to be sentenced by Judge Edward E. Guido in May.

When Poth was arrested in July, state police said she had stolen about $35,000 from the church between 2001 and the fall of 2008.