Published: 03:03 p.m., Thursday, August 5, 2010

DANBURY -- The former pastor of Faith Church in New Milford who was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday on embezzlement charges was not in court because his public defender had a conflict, according to State's Attorney Stephen Sedensky.

Daniel Valentine, 45, of Merryall Road, New Milford, is charged with five counts of first-degree larceny and two counts of second-degree larceny.

According to police, Valentine embezzled more than $221,000 between December 2007 and June 2008 from Squeaky's Car Wash on Newtown Road, a business he had built and ran but made no financial investment in.

Police said he wrote checks to fictitious contractors or to builders who had actually done work for the business, endorsed them and deposited the money in his own account, according to Danbury police.

The arrest warrant said his business partners became suspicious when they learned he had encumbered the car wash to obtain a personal loan.

When confronted, he signed over his share of the business to them, police said. But then contractors began coming out of the woodwork saying he had not paid them.

Valentine was arrested July 21 and held on $25,000 bond. He posted bond July 28.

His court case was continued to Aug. 17.