A woman from Florida has been sentenced to federal prison for fraud involving a church in Alapaha, Georgia. Judith Alane Chavis, aged 58, who served as the bookkeeper for the church and its Peanut Butter and Jesus (PB&J) charity, will serve 21 months in prison. Following her sentence, she will be under supervised release for three years. In addition, she has been ordered to pay $173,500 in restitution. This sentence was delivered by U.S. District Judge Louis Sands on April 29, 2025.
Chavis pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including five counts of wire fraud and ten counts of money laundering. "Individuals who use places of worship and charitable organizations for their fraud and theft will be rooted out and face consequences for their criminal actions," stated Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. She also praised the FBI for its commitment to combating fraud.
Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, remarked, "Chavis betrayed the confidence the church had placed in her by misappropriating funds intended to support its mission." He hopes the sentence provides closure to the church and its community and serves as a deterrent to others.
From 2018 to August 2022, Chavis volunteered as a bookkeeper for the Glory Church of Alapaha and the PB&J Outreach. She had sole access to the church's bank statements and was authorized to write checks. In this position, she applied for $163,500 in Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration on behalf of the church and its charity, without their knowledge or approval. She made unauthorized transfers totaling $173,500 to her personal account for personal use.
The FBI’s Valdosta Resident Agency led the investigation, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Couch Hostetler handled the prosecution.
