Former Church Bookkeeper Charged with Stealing Nearly $293K from Morris County Parishes

Melissa Rivera, 60, is accused of issuing fraudulent checks to herself while working at two Roman Catholic parishes between 2018 and 2024.

MORRISTOWN, N.J. — A former parish bookkeeper has been charged with multiple crimes following an investigation into the alleged theft of nearly $293,000 from two Roman Catholic churches in Morris County, according to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.

Melissa Rivera, 60, of Haskell, has been formally charged with several offenses, including two counts of theft and multiple counts of computer criminal activity and forgery. Authorities allege that while employed as a bookkeeper at Our Lady of the Mountain in Washington Township and Our Lady of Good Counsel in Pompton Plains, Rivera created and deposited fraudulent checks into her personal accounts between May 2018 and January 2024.

An initial referral to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit indicated that approximately $192,000 was misappropriated from Our Lady of the Mountain parish alone. Further investigation revealed that Rivera had allegedly written unauthorized checks from both parish accounts over several years, resulting in a combined financial loss of $292,728.

Rivera was charged by summons on March 27, 2025, and released pending further court proceedings. She faces the following charges:

• One count of Theft (Second Degree), in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-3A

• One count of Theft (Third Degree), in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-3A

• Two counts of Computer Criminal Activity (Second Degree), in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-25C

• Two counts of Forgery (Fourth Degree), in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-1A(2)

The alleged financial misconduct spanned nearly six years, implicating misuse of digital systems and falsified records as part of the fraudulent activity.

The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office has credited its Financial Crimes Unit for its role in the investigation and arrest. No court dates have been publicly announced at this time.

The case remains under investigation, and all charges are accusations until proven in a court of law.