Former West Fargo Church Business Manager Indicted for $600K Embezzlement

Carly Tufte accused of opening unauthorized credit cards and charging personal expenses to church accounts over 5-year period.

Feb. 4, 2026 at 4:39pm

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A former business manager for Faith Journey Lutheran Church in West Fargo, North Dakota has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly embezzling over $600,000 from the church over a 5-year period. Carly Tufte is accused of opening credit cards in her own name as well as the church's name without authorization, and charging personal expenses like rent, vacations, and travel to the cards.

Why it matters

The case highlights the vulnerability of small organizations like local churches to internal fraud and theft, and the importance of strong financial controls and oversight to prevent such incidents. It also raises questions about the church's own accounting practices and whether there were any red flags that went unnoticed over the multi-year period.

The details

According to court documents, Tufte is accused of the embezzlement scheme between April 2019 and December 2024. She allegedly had the bank statements sent to her home instead of the church, and charged nearly $640,000 in personal expenses to the unauthorized credit cards. Tufte resigned in December 2024, two days after the new church pastor informed her they intended to review the church's books.

  • The alleged embezzlement occurred between April 2019 and December 2024.
  • Tufte resigned in December 2024, two days after the new pastor said they would review the church's books.

The players

Carly Tufte

A former business manager for Faith Journey Lutheran Church in West Fargo, North Dakota who has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly embezzling over $600,000 from the church.

Faith Journey Lutheran Church

A church located in West Fargo, North Dakota that was the victim of the alleged embezzlement scheme by its former business manager, Carly Tufte.

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What’s next

The judge will decide whether to allow Tufte to be released on bail.

The takeaway

This case underscores the importance of robust financial controls and oversight, even for small organizations like local churches, to prevent internal fraud and theft that can have devastating impacts on the institution and community.