Rabbi charged with theft

Peter Light

A Monmouth County grand jury on Nov. 15 returned a one-count indictment against Peter Light, 48, of Marlboro, charging him with theft by deception.

According to a press release issued by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, Light was the rabbi in charge of the Marlboro Jewish Center Congre-gation Ohev Shalom. Originally from a synagogue in Memphis, Tenn., Light was installed as the leader of the Marlboro Jewish Center on July 15, 2004. Among his fiscal responsibilities as the leader of the congregation was the control of a bank account known as the Rabbi's Discretionary Fund.

The purpose of this fund was to assist needy members of the congre-gation. As the sole signator on the account, Light had the discretion to disburse these funds as he saw fit within the guidelines promulgated by the Marlboro Jewish Center's Exec-utive Board, according to the press release.

According to the prosecutor's office, Light misappropriated approximately $86,000 from this account for his own personal use between July 2004 and July 2006. He was subsequently removed from his position at the synagogue.

The crime was investigated jointly by the Special Prosecutions Unit of the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and the Marlboro Police Department. The Executive Board of the Marlboro Jewish Center fully cooperated with the detectives investigating the case, according to the press release.

Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin said, "The criminal conduct of Rabbi Light not only depleted the Marlboro Jewish Center's charitable account, but also stole the trust the congregation had unequivocally bestowed on this man when he was hired to lead their community in July 2004. This defendant fraudulently obtained money specifically designated to help others and used it for his own selfish purposes."

Light was arrested on a warrant issued by state Superior Court Judge Honorable Bette E. Uhrmacher, sitting in Freehold, on Nov. 15. Light was released on his own recognizance pending his next court appearance. If convicted of the charge, Light faces a maximum sentence of 10 years incarceration, according to the press release.