The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office arrested a husband and wife for defrauding a local church of close to $40,000.

The theft began in September 2014 and spanned for two years while Amanda Towner and her husband Nolan Towner, worked at Faith Baptist Church, 8751 Fruitville Road. Amanda was hired as the church's bookkeeper and Nolan volunteered with audio/technical support. Investigation revealed that Nolan used the pastor's credit card number to purchase personal items on Amazon and withdrew money to put in his personal account, while Amanda made monthly payments using church funds. In total, the couple stole $39,471.99 over a two-year period.

The Towners, of 2239 Novus Street, are each charged with Scheme to Defraud, a felony charge that carries a $7,500 bond. Both have posted bail and are set to be released today.