NEWTON, N.J. (Sussex County) — A former Girl Scout troop leader from Hopatcong was sentenced Friday to probation and ordered to pay more than $20,000 in restitution after admitting to stealing funds collected by two local Girl Scout troops, according to the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Katelin J. Dora-Wester, 37, was sentenced June 12 by Superior Court Judge Janine M. Allen at the Sussex County Courthouse in Newton. She received a sentence of two years of probation and was ordered to pay $20,249.95 in restitution to the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey.
Dora-Wester previously pleaded guilty to an amended disorderly persons charge of theft.
The charge stemmed from an investigation by the Hopatcong Police Department that found Dora-Wester failed to deposit $20,249.95 in troop funds collected through cookie sales and other activities between 2023 and 2025.
According to prosecutors, the missing money affected two Girl Scout troops in Hopatcong.
During the investigation, Dora-Wester admitted she failed to deposit troop proceeds and acknowledged using some of the funds for personal expenses. A subsequent search of her residence led to the recovery of troop financial records, checks payable to the troops and cash associated with cookie sales, authorities said.
“This case involved a significant breach of trust. Parents, volunteers, and community members entrusted the defendant with funds raised by young Girl Scouts through hard work and dedication. Instead of safeguarding those funds, the defendant misappropriated it, thereby depriving girls of support programs, activities, and service opportunities. Today’s sentence reflects the principle that individuals who abuse positions of trust for personal gain will be held accountable for their actions,” Sussex County Prosecutor Daniel M. Perez stated.
The restitution will be paid to the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey, the victim organization in the case.
