TULSA, Okla. –
Federal court documents outline how a former Tulsa Catholic deacon is accused of moving large sums of money from a local church into personal accounts.
Investigators say the alleged scheme involved repeated transfers kept under internal approval limits and efforts to conceal the activity.
Details are outlined in a federal filing dated April 28, 2026.
77: Unauthorized transfers
Investigators say John Sommer carried out at least 77 unauthorized ACH transfers from church accounts in 2025.
The transactions were made over several months while he handled financial duties for the parish.
$1,587,322.75: Total moved or attempted from church accounts
Court documents say Sommer caused or attempted to transfer more than $1.5 million from church accounts, routing the money into accounts he owned or controlled, prosecutors say.
$1,466,916.75: Reported loss to the church
The filing…
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