CHRISTIANSBURG — A man accused of trying to embezzle $50,000 from a Christiansburg church where he served as treasurer waived a preliminary hearing Tuesday and two felony charges filed against him went on to a grand jury.
Robert H. Rue, 68, of Christiansburg appeared in Montgomery County General District Court for a hearing that lasted only minutes. After Rue’s attorney, Kris Olin of Blacksburg, said that Rue did not want a preliminary hearing, Judge Randal Duncan certified to a grand jury two charges of attempted embezzlement of amounts greater than $1,000.
If a preliminary hearing had been held, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Rachel Shrader would have had to present evidence to justify the charges.
Instead, prosecutors will present evidence to a grand jury, which will decide if Rue should be tried in the county’s Circuit Court.
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No details of the case were discussed Tuesday.
According to a search warrant, Rue is suspected of trying to take $50,000 from Cambria Pentecostal Holiness Church, where he was the treasurer.
The search warrant said that Christiansburg police received a report on Dec. 29 that Rue tried to pass two checks, one for $26,000 and one for $24,000. The money belonged to the church and Rue was trying to use it “for personal gain,” the search warrant said.
Investigators collected two cellphones from Rue in January. The search warrant said that police think the phones were used by Rue to make apparent investments via apps, and to communicate with someone about investments.
Mike Gangloff
Mike Gangloff covers crime, breaking news and courts in the New River Valley. He can be reached at mike.gangloff@roanoke.com or (540) 381-1669.
