Woman Stole $500K From NJ Church, Used Money For Wedding: Cops

SOUTH JERSEY – A South Jersey woman embezzled more than $500,000 from the church where she was volunteering and used part of the money to pay for her wedding, authorities allege.

Taisha D. Smith-DeJoseph, 43 of Willingboro, then attempted to hide the embezzlement scheme by not filing taxes for four of the last six years, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and the Florence Township Police Department.

As the financial secretary, Smith-DeJoseph was responsible for overseeing the finances at St. Paul’s Baptist Church in Florence, authorities said.

Over the course of five years ending in March 2019, Smith-DeJoseph embezzled $561,777 by opening online bank accounts in St. Paul’s name and using the money for her own purposes, authorities said.

This included paying for her wedding at a venue in Burlington County, according to authorities. She also paid car loans, rent, credit card expenses, satellite TV and cell phone bills, and hundreds of online purchases.

To hide the embezzlement scheme, she failed to pay taxes in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018, according to authorities. In 2017, she filed a fraudulent tax return, according to authorities.

She was charged with second-degree theft by deception, second-degree computer criminal activity, second-degree misapplication of entrusted property, four counts of third-degree failure to file personal income tax, five counts of third-degree failure to pay income tax and third-degree filing a fraudulent income tax return.

The case will now be prepared for presentation to a Burlington County Grand Jury for possible indictment.