WEST FARGO, N.D. — Carly Anne Tufte, former business manager of Faith Journey Lutheran Church, has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly embezzling approximately $600,000 over more than five years.
The indictment, filed Jan. 28 in the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota, charges Tufte with five counts of bank fraud and one count of access device fraud.
Tufte began working at the church in 2018 as an administrative assistant and was promoted to business manager in 2019, earning around $53,000 annually. Prosecutors allege that in April 2019, she opened an unauthorized credit card in both her name and the church’s name, with statements sent to her home rather than the church.
Between April 2019 and December 2024, Tufte allegedly charged nearly $640,000 to the card, mostly for personal expenses including vacations and clothing. The church’s General Fund was allegedly used to pay the balances, totaling about $600,000, and she reportedly used a church debit card for personal rent.
Prosecutors claim Tufte concealed the fraud by avoiding providing bank statements to the church treasurer and making false journal entries to misrepresent expenses. She resigned abruptly in December 2024 after learning the new pastor planned to review the books. The credit card was discovered in January 2025 and canceled on Jan. 28, 2025.
Tufte’s arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 4 at 1:30 pm. If convicted, she could forfeit any property derived from the proceeds of the alleged bank fraud.
