Nassau Woman Admits To Stealing From Roslyn Harbor Church

A Merrick woman pleaded guilty on Tuesday to embezzling more than $180,000 from a Roslyn Harbor church where she worked.

Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said that Therese Iuzzolino, 45, pleaded guilty to third-degree grand larceny. She is due back in court on April 29, and is expected to be sentenced to six months in jail and five years of probation. She will also have to pay $25,000 in restitution when she is sentenced, and then have to continue paying restitution as part of her probation. She will also have to pay back the remainder of the money she stole.

“This defendant was a trusted member of the St. Mary’s Church family, but abused that trust and stole more than $180,000 from church coffers,” said Singas. “Stealing from a house of worship is an especially contemptible act and I am grateful to St. Mary’s for their cooperation during this case.”

From December 2011 and April 2017, Iuzzolino stole $183,203.64 from St. Mary's Church by making online payments from the church's bank account for her personal credit cards, as well as creating several electronic check vouchers.

Iuzzolino was working as a part-time bookkeeper for the church and was responsible for preparing QuickBooks checks, maintaining ledgers, reviewing invoices and reconciling bank statements.

To hide the theft, Iuzzolino falsified church records by deleting deposit and withdrawal entries. Her theft was discovered in May 2017 after the bank called the church regarding a suspicious $5,000 check. Iuzzolino was later fired.

Singas said that Iuzzolino spent the money, some of which came from collections from parishioners, on payments to a jeweler and a car dealer, as well as toy stores, gun shops, dental expenses, computers, food and entertainment.

The church was fully reimbursed by the Diocese of Rockville Centre, so Singas said that Iuzzolino will be making her restitution payments to the diocese.