The LA  Times reports the arrest of a Baptist minister on charges of stealing more than $800,000 from the Southern California church he leads. The LA County Sherriff’s Department says Rev. E. Joshua Sims, pastor of Double Rock Baptist Church in Compton, was taken into custody after a months-long investigation.

Between March 2000 and September 2008, investigators believe, Sims diverted church funds into a personal account, said Jane Robison, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. When church members began questioning his finances Sims allegedly threatened them during his sermons, she said.