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Thursday, December 30, 1999     Page: 12A

WILKES-BARRE – The St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church bookkeeper charged with
forging checks worth $70,000 will face trial after waiving her right to a
preliminary hearing Wednesday.
   
Susan Zingaretti, 49, of East Saylor Avenue, Plains Township, was arrested
on Nov. 12 after an investigation revealed she stole from the South Franklin
Street church by using an elaborate forgery system, police said.
    Zingaretti is charged with 123 counts of theft, 117 counts of forgery and
four counts of access device fraud. District Justice Michael Collins forwarded
the charges to Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.
   
According to arrest papers:
   
Police said Zingaretti had access to certain parishioners’ and church
employees’ bank account numbers and used the account numbers to cash checks by
completing transactions with fraudulent endorsements.
   
Zingaretti then used the church checks to purchase various items, including
a curio cabinet, three dining room pieces, a cross trainer fitness machine, a
computer system, a digital copier and two-piece desk console, bookcase, hutch
and filing cabinet, police said.
   
She remains free on $25,000 bail.