Pastor accused of theft, forgery

A Camden County pastor has been accused of stealing from a deceased member of his congregation by forging documents that gave him ownership of several of her properties.

Mark-Anthony Rassmann, pastor of Mount Pisgah A.M.E. Church in Haddonfield, turned himself in Thursday to Camden police, police said. He was charged with four counts of theft and released on $2,000 bail.

According to police documents, Rassmann obtained the deeds to four Camden properties owned by an elderly female parishioner, whose name was not released.

Two of the buildings are on the 800 block of Haddon Avenue; the others are on the 1500 block of Mount Ephraim Avenue.

Police say Rassmann forged the woman's signature on documents that signed the buildings over to him. He also forged her signature on documents that gave him power of attorney in her legal matters, they say. It is not clear when police believe the alleged forgeries took place.

After the woman died late last year, her daughter discovered the signatures on the deeds. She recognized Rassmann's name and told police she was certain that her mother had not sold the buildings to her pastor.

Rassmann could not be reached for comment.

The 126-year-old building that housed Rassmann's church on Ellis Street was destroyed by fire in 2006. The blaze was reportedly caused by a roofer's torch.

The building is being reconstructed. Yesterday, a sign out front read "Coming soon, the greater Mount Pisgah Church." The sign displayed a thermometer with a fund-raising goal of $250,000 and indicated that $100,000 had been collected.

Rassmann is scheduled to appear in the coming weeks in Superior Court.