BREAKING NEWS

Newport Harbor Lutheran Church’s former bookkeeper was convicted Wednesday of stealing about $320,000 from the church, according to prosecutors.

Cheryl Granger, 45, who used to live in Irvine, pleaded guilty to a felony count of grand theft, seven felony counts of forgery and a sentencing enhancement for property damage more than $150,000, prosecutors said. Her sentence was six years in state prison and she was ordered to pay $333,133 in restitution.

Granger worked at the Newport Beach church between Sept. 30, 2002 and Feb. 6, 2006 as an office manager and bookkeeper. Granger was accused of forging signatures of church board members on more than 170 checks, prosecutors said. She made the checks payable to herself and to Caspian Scientific, a Nevada-based business she started with her husband, according to prosecutors.

Granger used the money to pay off credit card debt, prosecutors said. When discrepancies in the church’s financial accounts were discovered, Granger quit her job and moved to New Hampshire, prosecutors said.