By Raja Abdulrahim
Times Herald-Record
September 26, 2007
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070926/NEWS/709260341/-1/NEWS
Goshen — A Catholic church's senior organist was arrested Monday and charged with stealing more than $12,000 in church donations.
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| Jimrae Lenser |
Jimrae K. Lenser, an employee at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church for about seven years, is accused of stealing a combination of cash and checks since May, police said. Church staff first reported missing collection money on Sept. 5 and police have recovered cash and numerous checks that were stolen from the church.
Lenser, of Campbell Hall, is an organist at other local churches and police are investigating the possibility of similar thefts there. Lenser was the main organist at St. John's and responsible for the music during the weekend Masses, said the Rev. Thomas Dicks, the church's pastor.
Dicks would not comment on the arrest, citing the ongoing investigation, and would not say whether Lenser was still employed by the church.
Archdiocese of New York spokesman Joseph Zwilling could not confirm if Lenser had been fired, but said he assumed he would be. He did not know whether any of the other churches that employed Lenser were part of the archdiocese, but said he would contact them regarding the arrest.
As for safeguarding the donation money, Zwilling said policies vary from parish to parish, but there are some guidelines for when the money is being counted or stored.
"To make certain that the money is protected," he said.
Lenser was charged with felony grand larceny and misdemeanor criminal possession of stolen property. He was taken to the Orange County Jail in lieu of $15,000 cash bail, which as of yesterday afternoon he had yet to post and was still in jail. He is set to appear in Village Court at 10 a.m. today.
Police ask anyone who might have made a donation by a check that has not been cashed to call Det. David Conklin at 294-7988.
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