MORRIS COUNTY, NJ – A Passaic County woman has been charged with theft in connection to her former role as bookkeeper at Roman Catholic parishes in Washington Township and Pompton Plains, according to Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll.
A referral made to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit alleged that between May 2018 and January 2024, Melissa Rivera, 60, of Haskell, stole approximately $192,000 while employed as a bookkeeper at Our Lady of the Mountain Parish in Washington Township by writing numerous checks to herself from parish accounts, Carroll said.
During the investigation, authorities discovered that between May 2018 and May 2024, Rivera allegedly created fraudulent checks at both Our Lady of the Mountain and Our Lady of Good Counsel parishes, located within Morris County. Rivera then allegedly deposited these checks into her personal accounts, resulting in a total loss of $292,728, Carroll said.
On March 27, Rivera was charged with second-degree theft, third-degree theft, two counts of second-degree computer criminal activity, and two counts of fourth-degree forgery. She was released pending a court appearance, Carroll said.
