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MANTECA, CA---After preaching at the First Congregational church in Ripon for nearly 10 years, pastor Randall Radic sold the church for $525,000.
Thing is, it wasn't his to sell.
Radic, 53, has pleaded guilty to embezzlement and will serve 18 months in prison. In exchange for his plea, prosecutors have agreed to drop nine other charges. He had faced up to nine years in prison for two counts of theft by embezzlement, two counts of obtaining property by false pretenses, four counts of forgery of signature and two counts of presenting a fraudulent document.
He's being held in San Joaquin County Jail in lieu of $750,000 bail and will be formally sentenced on March 16.
Radic allegedly sold the town's oldest church in order to buy a BMW and other things. Prosecutors said that he had forged documents to show ownership of the house in which he resided which was owned by the church and then used the property as collateral for loans. 1-30-06
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
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