DA: Merrick woman stole $180K from church

Posted

A Merrick woman has been charged with embezzling more than $180,000 from a Roslyn Harbor church, according to District Attorney Madeline Singas.

Therese Iuzzolino, 45, was arraigned on felony grand larceny charges on July 31, Singas said. She also faces falsifying business records charges for allegedly stealing $186,204.64 from St. Mary’s while serving as the church’s bookkeeper.

If she is indicted by a grand jury, Iuzzolino will plead not guilty, her defense attorney, J. Ceasar Galarza, said on Wednesday.

According to Singas, over a period of six years, Iuzzolino used church funds to make online payments to a jeweler, a car dealer, toy stores, gun shops, a dental office and more. She worked for the church part-time as a bookkeeper, preparing QuickBooks checks and taking care of the church’s books.

Iuzzolino deleted deposit and withdrawal entries to cover up the theft, Singas said. However, last May, the church was contacted by the bank about a suspicious $5,000 check, and Iuzzolino was fired, according to Singas.

"St. Mary's parish is a pillar of the Roslyn Harbor community, and this defendant's alleged selfish actions betrayed the trust placed in her as the church's bookkeeper," Singas said. "Stealing from churches compromises the good work they do to serve our communities, and I'm grateful to the leaders at St. Mary's for their cooperation throughout our investigation."

Bail was set at $30,000 bond or $15,000 cash, and Iuzzolino is due back in court on Sept. 11. If convicted of the grand larceny charges, she could go to prison for five to 15 years.

Galarza said on Wednesday that Iuzzolino denies all the charges.

“She is extremely upset over these allegations,” Galarza said. “She has the full support of her family, and looks forward to addressing these charges in court.”