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	Pastor Requests Bible Theft Charges Be Dropped By Carl Hessler Jr Pottstown Mercury March 28, 2007 http://www.pottstownmercury.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18135303&BRD=1674&PAG=461&dept_id=18041&rfi=6 Norristown — A judge has taken under advisement a former Royersford pastor's request that all charges be dismissed against him in connection with allegations he stole antique Bible books and ripped off a church fund for the needy. Montgomery County Judge William R. Carpenter indicated he'll rule on William B. Shrout Jr.'s request after he reviews documents, including a church ledger pertaining to distributions from the so-called "Sunshine Fund" for the needy, that prosecutors submitted as evidence against Shrout. Shrout, the former pastor of First United Church of Christ in Royersford, asked the county judge to review a district judge's Feb. 1 decision ordering Shrout to stand trial on charges of theft by deception, receiving stolen property and conspiracy in connection with incidents that occurred while he was pastor of the church. William J. Honig, Shrout's lawyer, argued prosecutors did not produce sufficient evidence to support the charges during the preliminary hearing before District Judge Walter F. Gadzicki Jr. and that Gadzicki's decision sending Shrout to trial should be overturned. Honig maintained prosecutors can't show evidence that any money was ever taken from the fund for the needy. "All the records that were produced at the hearing ... indicated every nickel that came in, it was shown where it went. It was an anonymous fund. The only thing not there, according to the testimony of a detective, were the names of the people," Honig said Tuesday. "No money was ever proven missing. It was (Shrout's) discretionary fund to pick whom he wanted to give the money to." Honig said Shrout denies any criminal wrongdoing. Shrout served as pastor of the church from June 2003 until July 2005, when he was let go. Prosecutors allege both Shrout, 30, and his wife, Carla, 33, participated in the theft of a rare collection of 30 miniature, antique, leather-bound Bible books from the church and then sold them for about $115 on eBay, an online auction site. Gadzicki also ordered Carla Shrout to answer to theft-related charges in county court in connection with her alleged role in the Bible book caper. Carla Shrout, through her lawyer Richard D. Winters, also is seeking to have the charges dismissed. Winters argued that prosecutors produced "no evidence to show that a theft occurred within the two-year statute of limitations." Winters, arguing the books are not unique or rare and that thousands of the Bibles were sold in the early 1900s, implied there is no evidence that the Bibles allegedly sold by the Shrouts are those that belonged to the church. "It's our position that the evidence is insufficient to show that these are, in fact, the same Bibles and whether or not Carla Shrout was involved in the taking of these Bibles," Winters said Tuesday. "There's no evidence that she was even at the church." Assistant District Attorney Nathan Schadler is fighting the Shrouts' request to dismiss the charges. "The testimony that was presented at the preliminary hearing was sufficient. The witnesses were competent and they presented a very clear picture of two individuals that had stolen from the church and treated the church as if it was their own private bank account," responded Schadler, who argued the charges should stand against the Shrouts. In addition to the alleged theft of the Bible books, Rev. Shrout faces charges he stole $393 from the church's Sunshine Fund, which Shrout created in February 2005 to assist needy families. Shrout, authorities said, had exclusive control over the funds to preserve the anonymity of the families who received funds. Schadler has alleged that disbursements from the fund were made to Shrout personally and that none of the money ever went to needy families. Carla Shrout is not charged in connection with the alleged Sunshine Fund theft. The couple remains free on own-recognizance bail while awaiting further court action. An investigation of Shrout began following the sale of the Bibles on eBay, court documents indicate. Aware that the Royersford church had reported the books stolen, a Phoenixville woman purchased the religious books when they appeared for sale on eBay. The return information on the books listed the name of Carla Shrout, with a Northampton County address, court documents said. The couple had moved to Mount Bethel, where Shrout currently is the pastor of Trinity UCC. Contact: chessler@pottsmerc.com
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