Morristown church sexton charged with falsifying probation records

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By Kevin Coughlin

The sexton at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Morristown has been charged with taking a bribe to  falsely report that someone had completed a court-ordered community service project at the church, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office said on Tuesday.

Maurice Underhill, 53, of Dover, was arrested on Aug. 31, 2016, and charged with bribery and commercial bribery, falsifying or tampering with records, and obstructing the administration of law or other governmental function.

morris prosecutor seal logoUnderhill posted $15,000 bail the same day.

According to the church website, Underhill serves as sexton and “go-to guy at the Community Soup Kitchen.”

The father of two created a program, Work Force Development, with the Morris County Probation Department “to give community service opportunities to those on probation, keeping the grounds of Redeemer and the Soup Kitchen clean and safe,” the church website said.

Underhill, a North Carolina native, also works at the Morristown & Township Library.

 

The prosecutor’s office said he was not an employee of the county probation department. Rather, he had volunteered as community service coordinator for Redeemer, where his role was to report about, and supervise, people assigned to the church program by probation, the prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday.

“The defendant…agreed that for a monetary fee paid to him, he would report to the Morris County Department of Probation that the subject had completed the community service hours, when, in fact, the hours were not fulfilled,” the prosecutor’s office said.

“The investigation commenced as a result of the prompt notification to law enforcement by personnel of the Department of Probation in Morris County,” Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp said in a statement.

Redeemer Rector Cynthia Black said Underhill remains employed at the church.

“We are just learning of this,” Black said. “We will be conducting our own investigation. Until we’ve done that, we won’t have anything more to say.”

Chad Leinaweaver, library director, said news of the charges was a “shock.”  Underhill has  worked in maintenance at the library since 2011 and been “a great employee,” he said.

“He’s a huge help for us, and he’s a big help to a lot of people around town,” Leinaweaver said, describing Underhill as someone who’s always willing to pitch in when a person or organization needs a hand.

Underhill’s case has been transferred to Passaic County.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Thomas Primo of the prosecutor’s office at (973) 285-6200.

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