FORT WORTH - Dallas Theological Seminary claims someone took $165,000 and Channel 8 has learned the school is accusing a former administrator.
There's a complicated money trail to follow in all of this.
At the Tarrant county courthouse, a judge has now frozen money in the former administrator's bank accounts.
It was Rodney Bryant's job to protect Dallas Theological Seminary financially.
He served as the school's Chief Financial Officer for nearly a decade.
But this week, in court papers, the seminary asked a judge for help, claiming it was Bryant, the school needed protection from.
The accused embezzler's wife, Lisa Bryant, denies her husband was involved in any wrongdoing.
"My husband is innocent," she said.
Lisa Bryant is talking about allegations Dallas Theological Seminary is making against her husband, Rodney Bryant.
"Dallas Theological Seminary has found itself in the unpleasant position of needing to take appropriate legal action... to protect the seminary's interests and assets," said Mark Yarborough of the Dallas Theological Seminary.
A seminary spokesman could say little publicly but according to this lawsuit, filed by the seminary, Rodney Bryant signed off on $165,000 in payments to two companies in 2007 and 2008.
The paperwork, on the surface, was in order, complete with bills and letters engineering and legal services.
Once a seminary employee started checking, however, it became obvious the companies were not what they appeared to be. One, for instance, an environmental legal services firm, has an address that traced back to a UPS store.
The seminary is claiming they were just shell companies that were there for him to embezzle the money.
"My husband embezzled no money," said Lisa Bryant.
This week a judge signed orders freezing money in bank accounts in the name of both Rodney Bryant and the companies named in the lawsuit. Bryant's wife maintains her husband's innocence.
"I know him," she said.
Dallas Theological seminary terminated Bryant in October.
In court documents, the seminary says the decision was unrelated to the embezzlement claims.
A hearing in this case will be held in two weeks.
There's a complicated money trail to follow in all of this.
At the Tarrant county courthouse, a judge has now frozen money in the former administrator's bank accounts.
It was Rodney Bryant's job to protect Dallas Theological Seminary financially.
He served as the school's Chief Financial Officer for nearly a decade.
But this week, in court papers, the seminary asked a judge for help, claiming it was Bryant, the school needed protection from.
The accused embezzler's wife, Lisa Bryant, denies her husband was involved in any wrongdoing.
"My husband is innocent," she said.
Lisa Bryant is talking about allegations Dallas Theological Seminary is making against her husband, Rodney Bryant.
"Dallas Theological Seminary has found itself in the unpleasant position of needing to take appropriate legal action... to protect the seminary's interests and assets," said Mark Yarborough of the Dallas Theological Seminary.
A seminary spokesman could say little publicly but according to this lawsuit, filed by the seminary, Rodney Bryant signed off on $165,000 in payments to two companies in 2007 and 2008.
The paperwork, on the surface, was in order, complete with bills and letters engineering and legal services.
Once a seminary employee started checking, however, it became obvious the companies were not what they appeared to be. One, for instance, an environmental legal services firm, has an address that traced back to a UPS store.
The seminary is claiming they were just shell companies that were there for him to embezzle the money.
"My husband embezzled no money," said Lisa Bryant.
This week a judge signed orders freezing money in bank accounts in the name of both Rodney Bryant and the companies named in the lawsuit. Bryant's wife maintains her husband's innocence.
"I know him," she said.
Dallas Theological seminary terminated Bryant in October.
In court documents, the seminary says the decision was unrelated to the embezzlement claims.
A hearing in this case will be held in two weeks.
