BishopAccountability.org
	Bookkeeper Accused of Stealing $30,000 from Denville Church By Bill Swayze and Paula Saha Star-Ledger September 14, 2007 http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/morris/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1189745205273180.xml&coll=1 church's part-time bookkeeper has been charged with theft and forgery after issuing $30,000 worth of checks to herself over a two-year period, police said yesterday. Patricia Cielinski bilked Saint Mary's Church in Denville little by little, writing some 30 checks to divert the funds to her personal ac count, police said. She was ar rested a week ago and released, police said. Cielinski, a mother of five in Dingman's Ferry, Pa., said she is fighting the charges. "It is all hear say," she said. "I didn't steal anything." Police said the diversion of funds went undiscovered until the Internal Revenue Service sent letters to the church questioning why payroll taxes were never paid for employees of the church's local school. According to a statement re leased by the Paterson Diocese, the incongruities were found by members of the parish's finance council, some of them newly named by the church pastor, the Rev. Martin Glynn. "When the council members old and new began working together, discrepancies were discovered which required further scrutiny," the statement said. Glynn called in "an outside person" to look at the books, and that person confirmed the discrepancies, the statement said. The matter was then turned over to authorities. The theft resulted in $200,000 in fines from the IRS, police said. Marianna Thompson, a spokeswoman for the Paterson Diocese, said the fines have been "dealt with," declining to elaborate. Thompson could not say how long Cielinski worked for the parish. Asked how the thefts might affect parish operations, Thompson said: "The parish will be just fine. Father will be speaking from the pulpit to his parishioners this weekend." Bill Swayze and Paula Saha may be reached at wswayze@starled ger.com or psaha@starledger.com or (973) 539-7910.
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