A Buffalo woman was sentenced to five years probation Thursday after pleading guilty to the theft of $272,205 from a religious organization while she was working with its treasurer.
LaChria Bowden, 55, of Buffalo, was sentenced before State Supreme Court Justice Paul B. Wojtaszek to the probation term. At the request of the complainant, Wojtaszek committed to a sentence of probation.
This past November, Bowden pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree grand larceny (Class C non-violent felony) and one count of repeated failure to file personal income and earnings taxes (Class E felony under New York State Tax Law). She entered a guilty plea to the highest sustainable charges.
Between Nov. 13, 2017, and Sept. 24, 2024, Bowden, while working as an assistant to the treasurer of a religious jurisdiction on Buffalo’s East Side, stole approximately $272,205 from the religious organization. Over the course of nearly seven years, Bowden wrote checks to herself for various sums. The preauthorized checks were intended to be used for church expenses. In September 2024, the organization’s leadership became aware of the missing money after a check made to a vendor was rejected due to insufficient funds. Bowden, who used the stolen money to pay for living and other personal expenses, was subsequently removed from her position.
Bowden also pleaded guilty for failing to file her personal income and earnings with the intent to evade payment for more than three consecutive taxable years. She did not file personal income taxes with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance between 2017 and 2024.
As a condition of the plea, Bowden signed a Confession of Judgment to pay full restitution to the organization. She also signed a Confession of Judgment to pay an additional $8,950 in restitution to the Department of Taxation and Finance. She has not paid back any money to date. As a condition of probation, Judge Wojtaszek ordered that Bowden must secure employment and make minimum monthly payments toward restitution.
Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane commends ECDA Confidential Criminal Investigator Natalie Perez and New York State Department of Taxation and Finance for their work in this investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Abrams of the Special Investigations and Prosecutions Bureau.