An East Islip woman has been indicted on grand larceny and other charges for allegedly stealing more than $420,000 from a Seaford church.
Between June 2019 and January 2022, Iris Gomez, 43, embezzled $35,574 from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre and $427,140 from St. William the Abbot Church.
Gomez began working as an assistant pastor at the diocese on August 7, 2018. A year later, Gomez followed the pastor to his new position at St. William and continued working for him into 2022. Gomez’ responsibilities during this time period included administrative and clerical support to multiple ministries, reviewing and ordering vocation materials for distribution at diocesan events and ensuring that payments were made to companies contracted by the church, providing technological upgrades to the church.
Between June 2019 and August 2019, Gomez had allegedly presented multiple invoices for payment for a company called GBL Media and Designs, LLC. She claimed that the company had done printing and design work for the Diocese of Rockville Centre. The investigation had revealed that the GBL invoices were fabricated, and did not reflect any work done for the diocese. In addition, GBL was never hired for printing and design work. Gomez is also listed as the individual for service of process for GBL and listed her home address on the New York Department of State registry for the company. The checks for the invoices to the company were allegedly deposited into a business checking account that Gomez had sole access and control to.
From June 2019 to January 2022, Gomez also allegedly continued the same scheme at St. William, submitting fabricated invoices on behalf of GBL for technological upgrades for the church under the guise that they had been approved by the pastor. Bank records show that 59 checks from the church totaling $427,140 were deposited into GBL’s account during this period.
Gomez was terminated from St. William on February 4, 2022, and was arrested on July 13, 2022 in Bethpage by members of the Nassau County Police Department.
On July 24, 2023, Gomez was arraigned on before Judge Robert Schwartz on the charges of second-degree grand larceny, third-degree grand larceny, first-degree scheme to defraud, third-degree criminal tax fraud, two counts of fourth-degree criminal tax fraud, and three counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing. She has pleaded not guilty, and remains released into pretrial services.
She is due back in court on August 18, 2023. If convicted, the defendant faces up to three to 15 years in prison.
“Over more than two years of employment, this defendant allegedly used the trust afforded her through her position as assistant to the pastor to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Diocese of Rockville Centre, and later, from St. William the Abbot Church. Gomez allegedly deposited checks into the bank account of a limited liability corporation, concealed her control of the company and falsely claimed it provided various services to the religious institutions,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly. “Parishioners give to their local churches to strengthen their congregations and community. Their charitable contributions should never be used by deceitful employees to line their own pockets.”