Ex-minister in custody on theft, forgery charges

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A former Dexter, Missouri, minister has been arrested for felony forgery and theft over $25,000 and will be arraigned today in Stoddard County Circuit Court.

Marcus Credale Geuin, 35, is accused of taking $112,000 from First Pentecostal Church of Dexter in 2012. If convicted, Geuin could face up to 15 years in prison for theft and up to seven years for forgery.

A complaint on file with the court alleges that about April 1, 2012, Geuin appropriated $65,359.02 from the church.

The complaint further alleges about April 12, 2012, Geuin forged a document from the church's board of directors, giving him the "authority and power" to conduct business on the church's behalf.

The charges stem from an investigation by the Dexter Police Department that began Oct. 2, when an officer took an embezzlement complaint about the church, which is in the 12200 block of North One Mile Road, according to a probable-cause statement.

Later that day, the officer, spoke with church board members who reported "their ex-pastor, Marcus Geuin, stole a large amount of money from the church, and when he left the church, there was nothing left in bank accounts and none of the bills paid."

Pulley said he was told board members "let" Geuin resign May 5, 2013.

One board member "advised he discovered the theft when Marcus was removing $500 at a time using his ATM card," Pulley said. "Marcus did not give an explanation why."

Once that board member began reviewing the bank records, he found the money missing, and the unpaid bills, Pulley said.

"[He] advised on May 6, 2013, ... Marcus made an ATM withdrawal of $140 from the account, which left $2.34 in the account," Pulley said. The withdrawal allegedly was made after Geuin had resigned.

Pulley said the board member also reported noticing Geuin "was withdrawing $500 [from an ATM] several times a day out of the tithing account, and Marcus didn't say what it was for."

The former minister has been living in Wentzville, Missouri.