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A local pastor and his wife have been arrested after investigators accused them using more than $200,000 in church funds for personal expenses, according to Richland County sheriff Leon Lott.
According to a statement from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD), 54-year-old Barry L. Spears and his wife, 64-year-old Jeri B. Spears turned themselves in on Tuesday (September 29, 2026) after investigators obtained arrest warrants the previous day.
The investigation began on June 9, 2025, when a church member of SonRise Baptist Church of Lugoff reported concerns that Barry Spears was using church members’ donations to pay personal bills. The complainant alleged Spears used church donations to pay personal bills. The department described the church as a tax-exempt nonprofit.
Spears was removed as pastor of the church in May after an audit revealed “numerous unauthorized expenditures” as well as a “lack of institutional control concerning church finances, no accountability, no checks and balances to guard against fraud.”
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“Several members of SonRise Baptist Church were called in to be interviewed by the United States Secret Service and United States Assistant Attorney General in reference to an active investigation into our church finances,” the church noted at the time. “Let it be known, SonRise Baptist Church will be cooperating fully with law enforcement in this matter.”
Investigators allege the couple used more than $200,000 of the church’s money for personal purchases and expenses, including a motorcycle, payments on a BMW, vehicle insurance and other expenses investigators described as unauthorized.
Receipts and other records showed alleged misappropriation of church funds by Barry Spears dating to 2018, the department said.
Barry Spears is charged with first-degree violations of the Computer Crime Act, forgery involving $10,000 or more, and breach of trust with fraudulent intent. Jeri Spears is charged with obtaining goods under false pretenses involving $10,000 or more.
Both were taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center (ASGDC) and received personal recognizance bonds, according to the department. As with anyone accused of committing any crime, both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty by our criminal justice system.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Troy Styles is a field correspondent for FITSNews. He is also the owner of Blunt Force Media.
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