A Baptist minister was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of embezzling more than $800,000 from the church he leads in Compton to pay for personal luxuries, including an expensive car and swimming pool, officials said.
The Rev. E. Joshua Sims, 47, pastor at Double Rock Baptist Church in Compton, was taken into custody without incident about 9:30 a.m. at his home in Corona, said Steve Whitmore, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Sims' arrest concludes an 11-month sheriff's investigation, Whitmore said.
Between March 1, 2000, and September 30, 2008, investigators believe Sims diverted more than $800,000 in church funds into a personal account, said Jane Robison, spokeswoman for the county district attorney's office. When church members raised questions about his finances, Sims allegedly used his sermons to threaten them, she said.
Investigators believe Sims used the stolen funds to purchase a Mercedes-Benz and to build an indoor pool at his home, Whitmore said.
