NJ Woman Stole $20K In Girl Scout Cookie Proceeds, Cops Say

SUSSEX COUNTY, NJ — A Sussex County woman has been arrested for stealing tens of thousands of dollars in Girl Scout cookie proceeds, according to police.

Katelin J. Dora-Wester, 37, of Hopatcong, was charged last month following an investigation into funds missing from the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey’s bank accounts.

The investigation, spearheaded by Hopatcong Police and the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, launched in late 2025 after they were alerted to missing funds.

Authorities discovered that roughly $20,000 had been stolen from the Girl Scouts between 2023 and 2025, police said.

Investigators say that Dora-Wester had been unlawfully receiving cash and checks from Girl Scout cookie sales and not depositing the funds into the bank, but instead taking them for personal use.

She was arrested on Jan. 15 and is charged with third-degree theft. She was released after processing and is awaiting court proceedings.

Anyone with additional information related to this investigation is asked to contact the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office at 973-383-1570 and/or the Hopatcong Police Department Detective
Bureau at 973-398-5000.