Temple's former rabbi pleads guilty to theft

On Jan. 29, Peter Light, the former chief rabbi at the Marlboro Jewish Center, Congregation Ohev Shalom, Marlboro, pleaded guilty to theft by deception, a second-degree crime, before state Superior Court Judge Ira E. Kreizman, sitting in Freehold.

The plea agreement calls for Light to receive a five-year sentence to New Jersey state prison. Light will be sentenced by Kreizman on May 4. He remains free on his own recognizance, according to a press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.

Light, 48, and presently a resident of Cherry Hill, was installed as the rabbi in charge of Congregation Ohev Shalom on July 15, 2004. Among his many duties as the leader of the congregation was the control of the rabbi's discretionary fund. The stated purpose of this fund is to aid needy members of the congregation. As the sole signator of this account, Light had the discretion to disburse money as he saw fit, within the fund's guidelines as promulgated by the Marlboro Jewish Center's Executive Board. It was mostly from this account that Light admitted misappropriating money, according to the press release.

During his plea allocution, Light acknowledged stealing in excess of $86,000 from his former congregation during the time period between July 2004 and July 2006. Light used the stolen money for various personal expenditures, according to the prosecutor.

This crime was jointly investigated 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 provided full and complete cooperation during the course of the investigation, according to the press release.

Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin said, "By stealing from a charitable account established by the Marlboro Jewish Center, Light placed his selfish personal interests above the expectations and needs of the congregation he led. This deliberate criminal conduct impeded the congregation's ability to serve those who required assistance."