NJ woman stole nearly $300K from churches — gets no jail time Erin Vogt Published: September 18, 2025 NJ woman sentenced for stealing from churches(AndreyPopov Getty Stock)

🙏 A NJ woman admits stealing nearly $300K from 2 Morris County Catholic churches

💸 She avoided jail time, instead gets probation and monthly restitution

🕍 Similar theft case at a Union County synagogue led to federal prison time

A 61-year-old Passaic County woman avoids jail time after admitting to stealing roughly $293,000 while working as a bookkeeper for two Catholic churches in Morris County.

Melissa Rivera, of Haskell, was arrested in March.

In May, she pleaded guilty to two counts of theft. loading...

140 church checks forged over six years, no prison time

Officers found that between May 2018 an

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