A former bookkeeper for St. Matthew the Evangelist Parish in Minersville is accused of allegedly embezzling more than $373,000 over the course of seven years, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed by the Schuylkill County District Attorney’s Office.
Neil Francis Sokola, 48, has been charged with second-degree felonies of theft and receiving stolen property. According to investigators, Sokola allegedly stole significant amounts of cash and manipulated financial records while serving as bookkeeper for St. Matthew’s. The investigation, led by Detective Thomas Robin of the Schuylkill County District Attorney’s Office, uncovered extensive alleged discrepancies in financial records under Sokola’s control.
The case against Sokola began in late 2019, after Reverend Jason Stokes, who became pastor of both St. Matthew the Evangelist and St. Michael the Archangel parishes in June of that year, discovered alleged inconsistencies in the handling of parishioner checks and cash deposits. According to the affidavit, Sokola, who had served as bookkeeper for St. Matthew’s since 2012, allegedly failed to deposit several checks in a timely manner and “held” checks in violation of church policy.
Initial Warning Signs
In October 2019, a parishioner inquired about a check they had sent months earlier for the Bishop’s Annual Appeal. Sokola reportedly returned the check to Father Stokes that same day, claiming he had found it. Stokes instructed Sokola to deposit the check immediately, emphasizing that such delays were unacceptable. This was not an isolated incident, as similar alleged issues with non-collection checks were reported.
Stokes also discovered discrepancies in St. Matthew’s bookkeeping practices. Prior to his tenure, the church had allowed a sacristan to count weekly collections alone and leave them, along with a tally sheet, for Sokola to verify and deposit. This procedure violated diocesan policy, which required stricter oversight and dual control of funds.
Upon realizing that checks were being held and that proper counting methods were not in place, Stokes instituted a new process that aligned with diocesan mandates. This included requiring collections to be counted by two individuals and deposits to be made immediately, leaving no opportunity for funds to be delayed or mishandled.
Audit and Resignation
After uncovering these alleged irregularities, Stokes contacted the Diocese of Allentown to request assistance in transitioning the parish’s financial records to PeachTree Accounting Software, a system mandated by the diocese. Sokola reportedly voiced displeasure with this move. Shortly after being informed that diocesan auditors would arrive in November 2019 to review records, Sokola resigned, effective November 8.
Heather Capuano, a diocesan field auditor, reviewed financial records dating back to July 1, 2012. However, the audit encountered challenges due to missing documentation, including tally sheets and deposit records. Investigators were forced to rely on bank statements to reconstruct financial transactions. They discovered a pattern of cash being omitted from deposits, with old checks substituted to make up the shortfall.
Forensic Audit Findings
The forensic audit revealed significant alleged cash shortages over a seven-year period. Sokola is accused of failing to deposit substantial amounts of cash, as detailed below:
- 2012: $1,181 missing
- 2013: $3,553.94 missing
- 2014: $33,185.23 missing
- 2015: $46,739.31 missing
- 2016: $56,073.14 missing
- 2017: $88,957.72 missing
- 2018: $64,889.62 missing
- 2019: $78,802.01 missing
The total amount of allegedly missing cash was calculated at $373,328.97. Auditors noted that discrepancies occurred when tally sheets failed to match bank deposit records. In some instances, checks that should not have been included in collections were substituted for missing cash.
Legal Proceedings
Sokola was arraigned before District Magistrate Dave Plachko, who released him on $50,000 unsecured bail. Plachko cited Sokola’s clean record, current employment, lack of flight risk, and absence of any threat to the community as reasons for setting unsecured bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 31 before Plachko.
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