Florida Woman Sentenced for Stealing $173K in Federal Loan Funds Meant for Georgia Church and Charity
A Florida woman who served as a volunteer bookkeeper for a church and affiliated charitable organization in Alapaha, Georgia, has been sentenced to federal prison for stealing more than $173,000 in federal loan money.
Judith Alane Chavis, 58, of Sorrento, Florida, was sentenced on April 29, 2025, to serve 21 months in federal prison per count, to run concurrently, followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $173,500 in restitution. U.S. District Judge Louis Sands handed down the sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
Chavis previously pleaded guilty on Oct. 30, 2024, to five counts of wire fraud in relation to a disaster benefit and ten counts of money laundering.
Chavis was a volunteer bookkeeper for the Glory Church of Alapaha and its Peanut Butter and Jesus (PB&J) Outreach charity, which provides food and assistance to the local community. According to court documents, from 2018 through August 2022, Chavis was authorized to write checks and was the sole recipient of the organizations’ bank statements.
Between August 2020 and March 2022, Chavis fraudulently applied for and received $163,500 in Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) without the knowledge or authorization of the church or PB&J. She used church letterhead and falsely claimed to be the treasurer, submitting forged documentation, including a certification stating the church’s finance committee had approved a loan modification—an approval that never occurred.
In addition, in June 2021, Chavis submitted unauthorized requests for targeted advances, resulting in another $15,000 being deposited into the church’s account. She later transferred nearly the full amount—$173,500—from church and PB&J accounts to her personal checking account using checks made out to herself.
Chavis used the stolen funds for personal expenses including travel and large purchases.
“Chavis betrayed the confidence the church had placed in her by misappropriating funds intended to support its mission,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta.
FBI Atlanta’s Valdosta Resident Agency investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Couch Hostetler prosecuted the case.
