Former bookkeeper sentenced in theft from JCC in Monmouth County
Six years after the incident, a former employee of the Ruth Hyman Jewish Community Center of Greater Monmouth in Deal has been found guilty of stealing $120,000 from the facility.
Lisa Gordon, 38, of Little Egg Harbor, who admitted to stealing the money, was sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay restitution to the center for the full $120,000. The judgment was issued on April 26 by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Patricia Del Bueno Cleary.
The theft was discovered by the JCC in November 2001, according to Jess Levy, the JCC's executive director, who added that the money had been taken earlier that year. At the time, Gordon was employed as a center bookkeeper, Levy said.
"We have always been diligent, which is why we realized that something was wrong six years ago," he said. "We went into action as soon as we became aware that there was a problem."
In 2001, the center learned that its stringent accounting and auditing procedures were not being adhered to by the team of accountants in its employ at the time, said Levy, explaining that an outside accounting firm was called in to investigate and discovered the theft.
The JCC has filed a civil suit against its former accountants; because of the ongoing litigation, Levy declined to release the names of any of the involved parties or details pertaining to the investigation. However, the former accountants had been hired by the center before he became its executive director 20 years ago, Levy said.
The Ocean Township law firm of Ansell, Zaro, Grimm, and Aaron is representing the JCC in the civil suit, Levy added.
Levy was in the courtroom at the time of Gordon's sentencing.
"We were victimized, and the person responsible didn't show much remorse," he said. "But the JCC pursued justice, and a criminal has been apprehended. I'm very pleased that there was a conviction."
As a result of Gordon's court-ordered restitution and a successful outcome of the pending civil suit against the center's former accountants, Levy said he "fully expects to recover every dollar" that was taken from the facility in connection with the case.
"Through our actions, the JCC has made a strong statement," he added. "You won't get away with committing a crime here."
Attempts by NJJN to reach Gordon and her attorney, Kelly Anderson Smith, for comment were unsuccessful.
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