Submitted by RLS Staff on Jan 23 2018 - 12:00pm.

Authorities in Kearny took a Kearny Board of Education employee into custody and charged her with theft this week.

According to a statement released by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office, on Monday, January 22, 2018, a bookkeeper working in the payroll department for the Kearny Board of Education was charged with an alleged theft of approximately $190,000 from the Kearny Board of Education.

Authorities said the bookkeeper has been charged with unlawfully negotiating checks drawn on the Kearny Board of Education bank account throughout the years of 2011 to 2017 and using those funds for her own personal benefit.

Police charged the bookkeeper, Ms. Gina Neri, 50, of North Arlington, with one count of Theft by Deception.

Neri is scheduled to make her first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Jersey City on February 6, 2018, authorities said.

The charges were filed after a month-long investigation was conducted by detectives for the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor.

The detectives were assisted by the Kearny Board of Education throughout the process.

The Prosecutor’s Office began its investigation after being contacted by an attorney representing the Kearny Board of Education.

The above charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. R.P.C.3.6(b)(6).