The secretary of a former Menlo Park seminary finance director accused of taking more than $200,000 and stealing a donated vehicle accepted a plea deal herself for reportedly accepting several unauthorized payments despite never leaving her job.
Evelyn D. Vallacqua, 45, pleaded no contest to felony embezzlement in return for 90 days jail on the condition she testify truthfully in the Aug. 11 jury trial of codefendant Jennifer Margaret Morris. Morris, 58, was Vallacqua’s boss at St. Patrick’s Seminary and University and is charged with four counts of felony embezzlement.
The women were arrested after a seminary audit sparked by learning that 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 was 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 pending sentencing. She returns to court Sept. 19 to set that hearing date.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
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PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
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