BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Erie County District Attorney's Office announced that 55-year-old LaChria Bowden, of Buffalo, pleaded guilty in State Supreme Court to one count of second-degree grand larceny and one count of repeated failure to file personal income and earnings taxes.
According to the DA, between November 2017 and September 2024, Bowden worked as an assistant to the treasurer of a church on Buffalo’s East Side and stole about $272,205. The DA said Bowden wrote checks to herself for various amounts that were intended to be used for church expenses. Church leadership became aware of the missing money in September 2024 after a check made to a vendor was rejected due to insufficient funds.
The DA said Bowden, who used the stolen money to pay for living and other personal expenses, was then removed from her position.
Bowden also pleaded guilty to failing to file her personal income and earnings, with the intent to evade payment, between 2017 and 2024.
The DA said as a condition of the plea, Bowden signed a Confession of Judgment to pay full restitution to the organization and pay $8,950 in restitution to the Department of Taxation and Finance.
Bowden is scheduled to be sentenced on January 22, 2026. The maximum sentence for the highest count is up to 15 years in prison. The DA said that at the request of the complainant, State Supreme Court Justice Paul B. Wojtaszek made a sentencing commitment of five years of probation. She was released on her own recognizance pending sentence.
