In November 2009 representatives of Thompson Springs Baptist Church contacted the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office requesting an investigation of Welch Construction Company and Christopher Brian Welch who was contracted to build a new church sanctuary.

Their concerns centered on amounts that had been paid to the contractor for labor and materials to construct the addition.

A six-month investigation by the Criminal Investigations Division revealed no records could be found at the Board for Licensing Contractors in Nashville that show Welch Construction Company or Christopher Brian Welch have been granted contractors licenses in the state of Tennessee.

The investigation also revealed two invoices for purchases of construction materials were altered to reflect significantly higher amounts before they were presented to the church membership for reimbursement.

After a complete investigation the case was recently presented to the Bradley County Grand Jury resulting in indictments for Christopher Brian Welch for Impersonation of a Licensed Professional and two counts of Forgery.

Welch, who is 43 years old, was arrested on June 7th. He was processed at the Bradley County jail and released after posting bond of $10,000. He will be arraigned in Criminal Court on July 6 at 9 a.m.

Contractors are required to have a valid license issued by the state Department of Commerce and Insurance. You can check a contractor’s status by contacting their office in Nashville or logging on the state’s website, tennessee.gov.

Christopher Brian Welch