Former church treasurer charged with embezzling nearly $700,000

A former Knox County church treasurer is facing charges of stealing nearly $700,000 from his church and a cemetery.

According to a release from the Knox County Sheriff's Office, deputies arrested Barry Cain at his home without incident Friday morning, after a grand jury indicted him this week.

Investigators said he embezzled a total of $78,302.21 from Gallaher Memorial Baptist Church, where he served as treasurer from 2000 until 2006. He is accused of writing checks to himself totaling more than $40,000 and also writing additional checks to pay bills not connected to church expenses.

Cain is also charged with stealing $597,516.69 from Edgewood Cemetery on Gallaher View Road, according to the sheriff's office.

Investigators said Cain wrote checks to himself, paid his own bills and wrote checks to family members with the cemetery's money. Deputies said their investigation revealed Cain also had people write checks directly to him to pay for cemetery plots at Edgewood Cemetery.

The KCSO press release said Cain was in the Knox County Jail Friday afternoon on $100,000 bond.