FULL STORY:

A former pastor on Camano Island [/b]pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing money from local churches and Oso mudslide survivors.[b]

Gary Joseph Ray, 57, entered the plea Nov. 12 for three counts of first-degree theft with aggravating circumstances, according to Island County court records. Ray was charged on Oct. 5, 2018, and his case was expected to go to trial Tuesday, Nov. 19.

He is scheduled to be sentenced in Island County Superior Court in February. The standard sentencing range for each county is three to nine months in jail, however, the Island County Prosecutors Office is recommending a sentence of 12 months plus one day, which would send Ray to prison instead of jail, according to court documents.
Prior to sentencing, Ray must pay $152,000 in restitution to his victims by the end of January, according to his guilty plea agreement.

Allegations of theft were first raised in 2017 while he was leading a congregation at Restoration Church Camano Island. [/b]A bookkeeper at the church noticed $6,000 was missing[b] — money intended for new carpeting at the church. An investigation was then launched.

Ray was originally charged for diverting donations for his own use, with “no intention” of distributing them, according to the Island County Prosecutors Office. In each instance, prosecutors alleged aggravating circumstances because of his position of trust...........................


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