Former Tuscaloosa church employee charged after allegedly stealing roughly $300K

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WIAT ) — A woman was charged with one count of wire fraud this week after allegedly stealing about $300,000 from a Tuscaloosa church.

According to U.S. Department of Justice, 35-year-old Kristen Marie Battocletti engaged in a scheme to defraud St. Francis of Assisi University Parish from April to October 2023 of roughly $300,000. Battocletti was an administrative assistant at the church.

Battocletti allegedly used the funds she stole from the church to purchase over $220,000 in TikTok Coins and complete personal transactions. The DOJ alleges Battocletti used the TikTok Coins for virtual gifts delivered to content creators.

Battocletti pled guilty to the charge in a plea agreement filed this week. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama will determine a date for Battocletti to enter her guilty plea.

The DOJ stated the maximum sentence for wire fraud is 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

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