DA: Woman stole thousands from church-run school

A former nursery school director stole more than $41,000 from the Levittown church that runs the school and used the money to pay her property taxes and credit card bills - even trips to the florist, prosecutors said.

Gail Vokoun, 58, of East Meadow, was arrested Wednesday morning on charges of larceny and falsifying business records at First Presbyterian Church of Levittown's nursery school, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said in a news release. If convicted, she faces up to 7 years in prison.

Vokoun, who resigned her position in September, was arraigned Wednesday in First District Court in Hempstead and released on her own recognizance. She was represented by the Legal Aid Society and is due back in court Friday.

Rice said that between August 2007 and September 2009, Vokoun, who was director for 15 years, "stole $41,489 through unauthorized credit card purchases and by writing checks to herself from the school's bank account."

The theft was suspected by a member of the church's clergy, who confronted Vokoun, authorities said. While "Vokoun admitted to stealing $20,000," a probe by the district attorney's office "revealed the true scope of the theft," Rice said.

In addition to paying her property taxes, Vokoun spent money on cable and phone bills, car insurance, dinners and hotel reservations, according to Rice's office. "This defendant didn't just steal from her employer, but from a house of worship and the community that it serves," she added.