2 Men Stole From Jersey City Church That Hired Them For Construction: Prosecutor

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — Two Bergen County men have been charged with stealing from a church they were hired to do construction work for, prosecutors said.

Christopher Poppe, 35, and Glen Poppe, 65, both of Franklin Lakes, are each with charged with conspiracy to commit theft by deception and theft by deception, said the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office.

The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Unit arrested them on Tuesday in Secaucus, prosecutors said.

They said that in 2021, Centurion Companies, a business associated with the Poppes, was hired by St. George & St. Shenouda Coptic Church in Jersey City to perform construction work.

"The investigation found the church issued Centurion Companies payments in excess for $350,000 to pay third-party contractors for additional services," prosecutors said. "Falsified records were submitted to the church indicating the third-party contractors were paid when the money had not been dispersed."

Besides the theft by deception charges, Christopher Poppe was also charged with three counts of forgery, prosecutors said.

The Poppes were released to await a court appearance this coming Tuesday, prosecutors said.