Crime & Safety
Ex-Bookkeeper At Long Valley Church Stole Nearly $200K, Police Say
Melissa Rivera, 60, was charged with theft and forgery for allegedly stealing from two Morris County churches over a five-year period.
LONG VALLEY, NJ — A Passaic County woman is facing accusations of stealing nearly $300,000 from Roman Catholic parishes in Morris County, including one in Long Valley, authorities said.
Melissa Rivera, 60, of the Haskell section of Wanaque, was charged Thursday with two counts of theft, forgery, and computer criminal activity, according to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.
Between May 2018 and January 2024, Rivera, serving as a bookkeeper, allegedly wrote herself checks totaling nearly $192,000 from the accounts of Our Lady of the Mountain Parish in Long Valley, officials revealed.
Find out what's happening in Long Valleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The investigation also uncovered that Rivera created additional checks at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish during the same period, depositing them into her personal accounts and racking up total losses of $292,728.
Rivera was arrested and charged by summons, and has since been released pending future court proceedings, officials said.
Find out what's happening in Long Valleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Our Lady of the Mountain Parish, located at 2 East Springtown Road in Long Valley, has been a part of the community since 1969.
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