Alleged Seminary Embezzlers Get April Trial

Daily Journal
December 17, 2013

http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2013-12-17/alleged-seminary-embezzlers-get-april-trial/1776425115053.html

Jennifer Morris

Evelyn Vallacqua

The former finance director of a Menlo Park seminary and university and her secretary will stand trial in April for allegedly taking more than $200,000 and stealing a donated Mercedes Benz.

Jennifer Margaret Morris, 58, is charged with four counts of felony embezzlement. Her former secretary, Evelyn D. Vallacqua, 45, is charged with three embezzlement counts for allegedly helping issue several improper reimbursement checks to her boss and accepted unauthorized severance payments from St. Patrick’s Seminary and University.

Both women pleaded not guilty to all charges and were scheduled for trial April 7.

The seminary launched an audit after learning Morris used her personal credit card for reimbursed work purchases to accumulate airline miles. The audit reportedly uncovered that, between October 2006 and 2012, Morris made $166,000 worth of unauthorized personal purchases for which she also reimbursed herself from seminary funds and overpaid herself at least $36,000 from 2011 to 2012.

Prosecutors also claim Morris stole a donated 1982 Mercedes Benz by registering the vehicle in her name and charging the registration and maintenance costs back to the seminary.

Vallacqua is accused of helping Morris with the reimbursement and also received severance payments although she never left the seminary’s employment.

Morris is free from custody on a $200,000 bail bond while Vallacqua is free on $10,000.