Pastor charged with felonies for embezzlement and larceny

By Zola Sigmon

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    MCDOWELL COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) has charged a local pastor with multiple felonies.

According to an MSCO Facebook post, Detective Grant Robinson with the MSCO charged Jeffrey Brain Merrow, 60, of Marion, N.C., with felony embezzlement and felony larceny.

The release said Deputy Alicia Lund spoke with members of Garden Creek Baptist Church, where Merrow was pastor, regarding embezzlement, fraud and theft on Oct. 28, 2024.

The release said that during the meeting, church members produced multiple receipts for “goods that were never purchased or services that were never rendered,” all of which were paid for using church funds, including one receipt for a claim to a local insurance company for items that were never stolen.

According to the release, church members also reported that large amounts of cash donations for hurricane relief, collected from attendees and the community, were given to Merrow but never turned in for their intended use.

Upon further investigation, the release said that a warrant was issued for Merrow’s arrest on Nov. 19, 2024, and he was later taken into custody on Jan. 5, 2025.

The release said Merrow is currently on supervised probation for obtaining property by false pretense greater than $100,000 and was given a $5,000 secured bond.

The release said that the MCSO continues to investigate the situation.

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