Jersey City, NJ – Two men have been charged in connection with a theft involving a Jersey City church, according to Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez. Christopher Poppe, 35, and Glen Poppe, 65, both from Franklin Lakes, face multiple charges following allegations of theft from St. George & St. Shenouda Coptic Church, where their company had been hired for construction work.
The charges include Theft by Deception and Conspiracy to Commit Theft by Deception, both second-degree crimes under New Jersey law. Additionally, Christopher Poppe faces three counts of forgery, classified as fourth-degree crimes. The arrests took place at the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office in Secaucus, with Christopher Poppe taken into custody on October 8 and Glen Poppe on October 10. Both men have been released pending a court appearance scheduled for October 15.
The case centers around Centurion Companies, a business associated with the Poppes, which was contracted by the church in 2021 for construction services. Prosecutors allege that the church paid Centurion Companies over $350,000 to cover third-party contractor services. However, investigators found that the defendants submitted falsified records indicating that payments had been made to these contractors, while the funds were never actually disbursed.
The investigation remains ongoing, as authorities continue to examine the extent of the alleged deception and any additional parties involved.
