Anita Guzzardi: Ex CFO of Archdiocese charged with embezzling over $900k

The former chief financial officer of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Anita Guzzardi, 42, has been charged with embezzling over $900,000 from the Archdiocese after turning herself into the District Attorney’s detectives around 8 a.m. this morning.

The investigation into Guzzardi’s accounts was set off in July 2011 when American Express contacted the D.A.’s office to report suspicious activities. The Archdiocese placed Guzzardi on administrative leave the next day, then terminated her July 22 after a conducting a preliminary internal investigation and turning its findings over to the D.A., according to a release.

The D. A.’s office discovered that Guzzardi allegedly used 184 Archdiocesan checks to pay her personal Chase credit card and 146 to pay her American Express credit card between 2005 and July of 2011. They retrieved $150,000 from Guzzardi and will return the money to the Archdiocese, according to the office. Guzzardi is charged with theft, forgery and related charges.

Insurance will cover most of the costs for embezzled funds and for some of the internal investigation, the Archdiocese said in a release. Guzzardi’s alleged thefts had nothing to do with the recent school closings, the release said.