Former Tuscaloosa church employee accused of embezzling $300,000

A former employee embezzled around $300,000 from a Tuscaloosa church, according to the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama.

Kristen Marie Battocletti, 35, was charged this week with one count of wire fraud at U.S. District Court in Birmingham.

Battocletti formerly served as an administrative assistant at St. Francis of Assisi University Parish, which is at 811 Fifth Ave. in Tuscaloosa. St. Francis is part of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham.

Prosecutors say Battocletti's scheme to defraud the church took place from April to October 2023.

Battocletti is accused of stealing the money and using it to buy more than $220,000 in TikTok coins, while using the rest of the $300,000 to pay personal expenses. She used the TikTok coins to pay content creators on the social media app, prosecutors say.

Battocletti has agreed to plead guilty to the wire fraud charge, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

The U.S. District Court will set a later date for Battocletti to formally enter her guilty plea.

The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison with three years of supervised release, along with a $250,000 fine.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant United States Attorney Edward J. Canter is prosecuting.

Reach Ken Roberts at ken.roberts@tuscaloosanews.com.