Current:Home > reviewsFormer Catholic church employee embezzled $300,000, sent money to TikTok creators: Records -FundGuru
Former Catholic church employee embezzled $300,000, sent money to TikTok creators: Records
View
Date:2025-04-13 20:22:59
A former administrative assistant for a Catholic Church in Alabama admitted in federal court to embezzling $300,000 and sending the majority of the illicit funds to TikTok content creators.
Kristen Marie Battocletti, 35, pleaded last week guilty to one count wire fraud after federal authorities say she "executed a scheme and artifice to defraud the St. Francis of Assisi University Parish in Tuscaloosa, Alabama" between April 2023 and October according to a federal plea agreement filed in the Northern District of Alabama.
Battocletti was an administrative assistant at the church, which is a part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Birmingham, according to the plea agreement obtained by USA TODAY on Wednesday. In her role, Battocletti was primarily responsible for bookkeeping and office management. She was also an authorized user of the church's Mastercard, the document continued.
She is set to be sentenced on Nov. 26. A conviction of wire fraud carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, though there is no minumum.
USA TODAY contacted Battocletti's public defenders on Wednesday but has not received a response.
How did Kristen Marie Battocletti execute the scheme?
Using the Mastercard, Battocletti purchased TikTok coins, which are digital gifts users can send to TikTok creators, according to the plea agreement. A small portion of the illicit funds was used to pay for personal expenditures, including car insurance payments, the court filing says.
Throughout the scheme, Battocletti initiated over 600 unauthorized transactions and received $300,000, none of which she was entitled to, according to the plea agreement. At least 370 of the transactions were used to buy TikTok coins, the document continued.
Battocletti linked the Mastercard to her Apple Pay and CashApp accounts on her phone, the court filing says. She made 60 CashApp transactions tied to the credit card during the scheme.
How did the church find out Kristen Marie Battocletti was embezzling funds?
The church became aware of the fraud last June after Battocletti transferred $2,575 from the Mastercard to her CashApp account. When Battocletti was interviewed as part of an internal investigation by the diocese on Oct. 4, she admitted to misappropriating funds from the church, the court document says.
She told the diocese that she took $70,000 in June 2023, $105,000 in July 2023 and $75,000 in August 2023, according to the plea agreement. She also acknowledged that she "knew this was theft and recognized that she could get in serious trouble for her misconduct," the document continued.
St. Francis fired Battocletti after the interview. The FBI interviewed her in February, when she again admitted to stealing the funds from St. Francis and using most of the money to pay for TikTok coins.
In compliance with Battocletti's plea agreement, she will have to pay restitution of at least $299,000 to St. Francis, according to federal prosecutors.
veryGood! (17169)
Related
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- 2024 Tesla Cybertruck vs. Rivian R1T vs. Ford F-150 Lightning: The only comparison test you'll need
- A decade after deaths of 2 Boston firefighters, senators pass bill to toughen oversight
- ASTRO COIN:The bull market history of bitcoin under the mechanism of halving
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
- As homeless crisis grows, states and cities are turning to voters for affordable housing
- CLFCOIN: Gold and Bitcoin hit new highs
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- John Harrison: The truth behind the four consecutive kills in the Vietnamese market
Ranking
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Texas appeals court overturns voter fraud conviction for woman on probation
- Georgia House approves new election rules that could impact 2024 presidential contest
- Tennessee governor signs bill to undo Memphis traffic stop reforms after Tyre Nichols death
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- CLFCOIN CEO David Williams: Bitcoin Expected to Top $80,000 Amid Continued ETF Inflows
- Conjoined Twins Brittany and Abby Hensel Respond to Loud Comments After Josh Bowling Wedding Reveal
- Families of victims in Baltimore bridge collapse speak out: Tremendous agony
Recommendation
Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
Michigan GOP lawmaker falsely claims that buses carrying March Madness teams are ‘illegal invaders’
Conjoined Twins Brittany and Abby Hensel Respond to Loud Comments After Josh Bowling Wedding Reveal
Amanda Bynes Addresses Her Weight Gain Due to Depression
See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
An inflation gauge closely tracked by the Federal Reserve shows price pressures easing gradually
Women's Sweet 16 bold predictions for Saturday games: Iowa hero won't be Caitlin Clark