A Switz City woman is facing felony theft charges after investigators say she misappropriated thousands of dollars from a Linton church while serving as its treasurer.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed in Greene County Superior Court, Kimberly Collins, 62, was arrested March 10, 2026, on a preliminary charge of Level 5 felony theft.

Police began investigating after officers were dispatched to First Baptist Church in Linton regarding a report of missing funds. Church leadership told officers they had been reviewing financial records for several weeks after receiving notice of an overdraft of approximately $4,000.

During their internal review, church officials reported identifying numerous unauthorized transactions, including payments to accounts believed to be tied to Collins’ personal expenses, such as a mortgage company, phone service and auto loan payments.

According to statements provided to police, the church estimates that approximately $199,000 is unaccounted for.

Investigators were also provided with a written statement from Collins in which she admitted to using funds from designated church accounts for personal use. In the statement, Collins wrote that financial struggles led her to take the money with the intention of repaying it, but she was unable to do so.

Church officials told police that Collins had served as treasurer and was terminated from the position in early February after concerns about financial discrepancies and a lack of explanation for the transactions.

Records reviewed by investigators indicate that from 2019 through 2025, more than $79,000 in payments were made to unauthorized accounts. Additional records show Collins allegedly wrote checks to herself totaling more than $128,000, with approximately $71,000 determined by church officials to be unauthorized after accounting for legitimate reimbursements.

For the purposes of the investigation and statute of limitations, police identified approximately $116,000 in unauthorized transactions occurring between March 2021 and March 2026.

Payments were reportedly made to accounts associated with a mortgage lender, telecommunications providers and other personal expenses, according to the affidavit.

When officers contacted Collins at her residence in Switz City, she was advised of her rights and declined to provide a statement without an attorney. She was then taken into custody and transported to the Greene County Jail.

She’s scheduled to appear in Greene Superior Court for an initial hearing on March 23.