Bookkeeper Who Stole Nearly $300K From Morris Co. Churches Avoids Prison

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — A Passaic County woman who stole nearly $300,000 from two local churches has been sentenced, according to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.

Melissa Rivera, 61, of Haskell, pleaded guilty in May after being charged with theft in connection with her former role as bookkeeper at Roman Catholic parishes in Long Valley and Pompton Plains, officials said.

See Related: $300K Stolen From Morris County Churches By Bookkeeper

On Sept. 12, Rivera was sentenced to five years probation for her crimes. In addition, she’ll have to pay the two victim parishes a combined $292,728 in restitution at a rate of $800 a month.

At that rate, the 61-year-old will be paying restitution for more than 30 years.

The initial investigation into Rivera was launched after the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit received a tip that Rivera had embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars while employed as a bookkeeper at the Our Lady of Mountain Parish in Long Valley.

Further investigation revealed not only that Rivera had stolen $287,487 from the Our Lady of Mountain Parish, but also another $5,241 from the Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish.

Rivera had written herself 140 checks between May 2018 and May 2024, cashing out a total amount of $292,728.