A resident of Bowie’s Fairwood community has been convicted of embezzling more than $500,000 over five years from the National City Christian Church in Northwest Washington, D.C., in his role as chief financial officer.

Jason Todd Reynolds, 40, of the 13100 block of Jordans Endeavor Drive was convicted Aug. 15 in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, according to a release from the U.S. attorney for the District.

Judge Gladys Kessler scheduled sentencing for Nov. 4 and ordered that Reynolds be incarcerated until then, said William Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office.

Reynolds, who was indicted April 9, 2010, likely faces about six to seven years of incarceration under federal sentencing guidelines, according to the release.

The amount of money he will be required to repay will be determined at the time of sentencing, Miller said.

Edward Sussman, Reynolds’ attorney did not return calls for comment.

Stephen Gentle, senior minister for the church, issued a statement:

“Money that would have been used to feed the hungry and help those who are hurting in our community was diverted,” he stated. “This has hurt the congregation.”

Reynolds was convicted of a total of 12 counts, including one count each of wire fraud, bank fraud, making a false statement on a loan application, and fraud in the first degree, as well as four counts each of aggravated identity theft and tax evasion, according to the release.

Reynolds was hired in 2001 by the church, which has more than 400 members, later becoming its CFO with control over the church’s bank accounts, credit cards, and checks, according to evidence introduced at the trial.

Between 2003 and 2008, Reynolds used a variety of means to defraud the church, including writing himself checks and paying his home mortgage and personal credit card from the church’s bank, according to the release.

He misused the church’s credit card to buy three vehicles — a Lexus sport utility vehicle, a Range Rover and a Nissan Maxima —, a $12,000 diamond ring, an addition to his home, luxury furniture and vacations, and sports tickets, including courtside season tickets to the Washington Wizards basketball games, according to the release.

Reynolds also took donations and payments from charities leasing space in the church for his own use, according to the release.

To conceal the embezzlement and replenish the church’s accounts, Reynolds forged a false corporate resolution to get a $450,000 line of credit, which he immediately withdrew, leaving the debt with the church, which they were not aware of until the loan came due after Reynolds was terminated in June 2008 for performance reasons, according to the release.

The embezzlement was discovered soon after Reynolds left by church leaders who did an internal audit.

Reynolds did not report any of the income he embezzled and did not pay taxes on it, according to the release.

vterhune@gazette.net