By: Richard L. Smith
A Union County woman has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $350,000 from a local synagogue where she worked, according to information released by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Stacy Margaritondo, 52, of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, entered her guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court.
She was charged with wire fraud in connection to a years-long scheme that exploited her trusted position within the synagogue.
According to court documents and statements made during the hearing, Margaritondo began working for the Union County synagogue in 2010 and was promoted to office manager and bookkeeper in July 2020.
Between December 2019 and May 2023, she carried out a scheme to siphon funds from the synagogue’s accounts for personal use.
Federal prosecutors say Margaritondo wrote unauthorized checks to herself and secured additional funds by fraudulently obtaining short-term loans using the synagogue’s name and financial documents.
To cover her tracks, she allegedly altered bank statements and maintained inaccurate financial records, which she then submitted to the synagogue’s board of directors.
The charge of wire fraud carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine—or double the financial loss, whichever is greater.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 22, 2025.