New Jersey man admits embezzling $1.2M from Catholic church

The former finance director of a Catholic church admitted to embezzling more than a million dollars to fund a lavish lifestyle. Joseph Manzi, 78, pleaded guilty Friday to stealing from Church of Saint Leo the Great in Lincroft, N.J. He agreed to repay $1.2 million in restitution to the church, according to a plea agreement with prosecutors. He also pleaded guilty to fraudulent tax return and was ordered to pay $73,032 in taxes to the state, according to the New Jersey Attorney General's Office. The attorney general recommended that Manzi serve five years in state prison, though a sentencing date has yet to be set.

What purchases did Manzi make with the church’s funds? He had sole control over the church’s credit cards while he served as director of finance, operations, and development, Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said. Between 2019 and 2025, Manzi used his position to divert cash and run up credit card bills for his own purchases. He bought luxury items, from New York Yankees tickets to a Cadillac SUV, and chartered fishing trips. After his employment at the church ended in 2025, the church staff reviewed credit card statements and discovered Manzi’s thefts. He was charged in October 2025, Davenport said.

He stole to fund a lavish lifestyle, and will now face the consequences of his greed, Davenport said.

The church also filed a civil lawsuit against Manzi accusing him of stealing more than $1.5 million from the ministry. That lawsuit alleged he spent parish money on cigars and his daughter’s wedding expenses. 

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report on a California bishop who was arrested for embezzlement and money laundering.