Church Bookkeeper Pleads Guilty to Stealing $293K from Two Morris County Parishes

Melissa Rivera admitted to forging 140 checks over six years in her role as parish bookkeeper

MORRIS COUNTY — A former church bookkeeper has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $293,000 from two Roman Catholic parishes in Morris County, concluding a financial crimes investigation that uncovered years of embezzlement. Melissa Rivera, 60, of Haskell, entered her guilty plea on May 19, 2025, before Superior Court Judge Robert Hanna.

Rivera pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree theft in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-3A. The charges stem from her employment at Our Lady of the Mountain Parish in Washington Township and Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Pompton Plains. As part of the plea agreement, the State will recommend a sentence of probation, with a requirement that Rivera serve 364 days in the Morris County Correctional Center.

In addition to incarceration, Rivera must pay restitution totaling $292,728 to the affected parishes. The theft was discovered following a referral to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit, which launched an investigation into suspicious financial activity at the parishes.

Investigators determined that between May 2018 and May 2024, Rivera created 137 unauthorized checks totaling $287,487 while serving as bookkeeper at Our Lady of the Mountain Parish. Additionally, she forged three checks totaling $5,242 at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish. The total confirmed loss from both parishes was $292,728.

Rivera was formally charged on March 27, 2025, following the investigation. She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, 2025.

Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll and Chief of Detectives Robert McNally credited the efforts of the Financial Crimes Unit, whose work led to Rivera’s guilty plea and restitution agreement.