The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office today announced that Shaakerah Kelly, 35, of Bloomfield, has been charged with stealing $320,000 of donations to Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey while she worked for the charity.
Full press release in the jump.
Essex County Prosecutor Paula T. Dow today announced that a former employee of a North Jersey nonprofit organization that provides services to people with cerebral palsy has been charged with stealing more than $300,000 in donation checks during a three-year period.
Shaakerah Kelly, 35, of Bloomfield, appeared today in court before Essex County Superior Court Judge Michael Ravin for her arraignment in connection the alleged theft of $320,000 in donation checks to Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey that were deposited into her own bank account. She has been charged with 2nd degree theft by deception, 3rd degree forgery, 3rd degree fraudulent use of credit cards, and 2nd degree financial facilitation of criminal activity. If convicted of the charges, she could face up to 10 years in prison.
According to Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Grace Lee, the defendant worked in the organization’s accounts payable unit and allegedly deposited the donations checks into her account from June 2005 and January 2008. It is also alleged, she ran up $3,700 bill on a corporate card for personal luxury items. The organization was located in Maplewood, but has since moved to Livingston. Kelly was terminated by her employer in January 2008 for different circumstances. An internal audit discovered the alleged theft in June 2008. Kelly was arrested at her home by detectives from the Maplewood Police Department last March. The case was brought to the attention of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Economic Crimes Unit in September 2009 by the Maplewood Police Department and a joint investigation was launched.
Prosecutor Dow commended Detectives Kevin Kisch and Daniel Lenzo of the Maplewood Police Department and Detective John Campo of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Economic Crimes Unit for the investigation.
These criminal charges are mere accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Absolutely disgusting! To borrow a line from a Julia Roberts movie, “Wipe your conscience!”
If she’s guilty, let her swing.
Just google this story and she is being held at the Essex County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bail.
How about $320,000 bail?
As the parent of a child with a chronic medical condition, I hope she swings, too!
As if stealing from your employer isn’t bad enough, she has to steal from a charity as well. And what’s with the low bail amounts these days?
Very bad to steal from a charity. She could’ve gone over to Goldman Sachs. They’re giving out 16 thousand million in bonuses this season.
Shaakerah would make a fine Wall Steet CEO, methinks. Better moolah than any charity can offer her and her sticky fingers.
“Let her swing”? What century are we living in?
I’ll be even mas macho in the anonymous forum of The Internet. We guys like to show how masculine we are by making such pointless violent statements.
Uh, “Yeah, let her swing but first gouge her eyes out and light her on fire. Yeah, that would serve her right. Maybe peel her skin off too.”
If your last post had a moustache and a hard hat, it could be in the Village People. Who are you quoting?
snappyguy,
Your density could rival that of a ‘neutron star’.
Are you familiar with the satiristic or euphemistic expression.
I’m in awe, truly!
I’m confused. How do you deposit a check made out to a charity in your own account?
Here’s a link describing what she did with the $$$
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/12/former_bookkeeper_at_cerebreal.html
I do believe that the comment, “If she’s guilty, let her swing.” is most likely motivated frustration at the current lack of meaningful consequence for criminal (or just evil) deeds.
It does seem that the connection between deed and consequence (or reward) has gone the way of the social contract. I am so happy that I am NOT a parent and that I don’t have to raise children to be both ethical and successful.
Comments posted by people on the NJ.com page for this article are far angrier than the “let her swing her swing” sentiment here and which I’m fairly sure is a metaphor rather than a call to arms. Sometimes people just need to let off steam especially in reaction to such heinous crimes.