Woman pleads guilty in church embezzlement

MOUNT CLEMENS (AP) -- A 77-year-old woman faces the possibility of prison time for taking money from a Detroit-area church and must repay $50,000 in an agreement with prosecutors. The Macomb Daily says Helen Gvozdich pleaded guilty to embezzlement Tuesday, the day her case was to go to trial in Mount Clemens. Sentencing is Nov. 8. She has no prior criminal record, and guidelines call for anywhere from probation to up to two years behind bars. Defense lawyer E. Philip Adamaszek says his client "devoted decades to serving the church" and was the victim of an "unfortunate series of events." Authorities originally said that in 2008-2009 Gvozdich stole about $79,000 from St. Stevan Decanski Serbian Orthodox Church in Warren. Prosecutors say church officials agreed to accept $50,000 repayment if she pleaded guilty. Published: Fri, Oct 5, 2012