Former Catholic church employee embezzled $300,000, sent money to TikTok creators: Records

A former administrative assistant for a Catholic Church in Alabama admitted in federal court to embezzling $300,000 and sending the majority of the illicit funds to TikTok content creators.

Kristen Marie Battocletti, 35, pleaded last week guilty to one count wire fraud after federal authorities say she "executed a scheme and artifice to defraud the St. Francis of Assisi University Parish in Tuscaloosa, Alabama" between April 2023 and October according to a federal plea agreement filed in the Northern District of Alabama.

Battocletti was an administrative assistant at the church, which is a part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Birmingham, according to the plea agreement obtained by USA TODAY on Wednesday. In her role, Battocletti was primarily responsible for bookkeeping and office management. She was also an authorized user of the church's Mastercard, the document continued.

She is set to be sentenced on Nov. 26. A conviction of wire fraud carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, though there is no minumum.

USA TODAY contacted Battocletti's public defenders on Wednesday but has not received a response.

How did Kristen Marie Battocletti execute the scheme?

Using the Mastercard, Battocletti purchased TikTok coins, which are digital gifts users can send to TikTok creators, according to the plea agreement. A small portion of the illicit funds was used to pay for personal expenditures, including car insurance payments, the court filing says.

Throughout the scheme, Battocletti initiated over 600 unauthorized transactions and received $300,000, none of which she was entitled to, according to the plea agreement. At least 370 of the transactions were used to buy TikTok coins, the document continued.

Battocletti linked the Mastercard to her Apple Pay and CashApp accounts on her phone, the court filing says. She made 60 CashApp transactions tied to the credit card during the scheme.

How did the church find out Kristen Marie Battocletti was embezzling funds?

The church became aware of the fraud last June after Battocletti transferred $2,575 from the Mastercard to her CashApp account. When Battocletti was interviewed as part of an internal investigation by the diocese on Oct. 4, she admitted to misappropriating funds from the church, the court document says.

She told the diocese that she took $70,000 in June 2023, $105,000 in July 2023 and $75,000 in August 2023, according to the plea agreement. She also acknowledged that she "knew this was theft and recognized that she could get in serious trouble for her misconduct," the document continued.

St. Francis fired Battocletti after the interview. The FBI interviewed her in February, when she again admitted to stealing the funds from St. Francis and using most of the money to pay for TikTok coins.

In compliance with Battocletti's plea agreement, she will have to pay restitution of at least $299,000 to St. Francis, according to federal prosecutors.