Lower Merion School Board Member Charged With Stealing $50K for Bahamas Trip

A member of the Lower Merion Board of School Directors has been charged with stealing more than $50,000 from her former employer, a Bala Cynwyd marketing firm, in a scheme that investigators say included booking a family trip to the Bahamas and racking up tens of thousands of dollars in Amazon purchases on the company's dime. Jennifer Rivera, 41, turned herself in to Lower Merion police and was arraigned on multiple felony counts stemming from the alleged theft.

Rivera worked as Executive Assistant to the CEO and COO at SMB Team, a Bala Cynwyd-based agency that provides digital marketing, business development, and management consulting services for law firms nationwide, according to The Org. As reported by FOX 29 Philadelphia, detectives allege Rivera took $50,243.31 from the company, with a financial review uncovering unusual charges to a company credit card and business Amazon account. Rivera faces four counts of theft by deception, along with charges of receiving stolen property and access device fraud, all classified as third-degree felonies.

What Investigators Say the Money Bought

According to the same station's report, Rivera spent more than $25,000 on a vacation for family and friends, including booking a future Bahamas trip using company American Express reward points that investigators say she used without authorization. Those reward points were estimated at more than $9,000 in value. The report also details $25,596.68 in Amazon purchases, including clothing and bathroom accessories, plus $1,339 spent on bar mitzvah videography and photography.

The financial review at SMB covered charges dating back to September 2024, and the company reported Rivera to Lower Merion police in June. Rivera was arrested in Norristown, per the article's dateline, and released on $25,000 unsecured bail. As a condition of her release, she was ordered to have no contact with anyone at SMB. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 2, 2026, and the case is being handled through the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.

A Campaign Built on Fiscal Responsibility

Rivera won a seat on the Lower Merion Board of School Directors in November 2025, part of the endorsed “Elect LMSD” slate after prevailing in a competitive Democratic primary that May, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. During her campaign, Rivera advocated for long-term strategic planning, community partnerships, and responsible budget oversight for Lower Merion schools, per Ardmore Patch. The timeline places the alleged theft — which prosecutors say ran from September 2024 through June 2026 — squarely across both her campaign and her early months on the board.

The Lower Merion Board of School Directors is made up of nine unpaid resident volunteers elected to four-year terms who oversee district policy, administrative appointments, and annual budget approvals, according to the Lower Merion School District. The district itself is among the highest-funded public school systems in Pennsylvania, spending an estimated $29,884 per student during the 2025–2026 academic year across roughly 8,500 students and 11 schools, per Oriel Admissions. For the current school year, the district also managed a $5 million budget gap by freezing retired teaching positions, reassigning staff, and consolidating course offerings, according to The Merionite.

Can Rivera Be Removed From the Board?

The charges raise questions about whether Rivera can continue serving while the case moves through court. Under Article VI, Section 7 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, an elected local official can be removed from public office upon conviction of an “infamous crime,” which state courts have interpreted as any felony offense, according to the Pennsylvania Local Government Commission. Crucially, that same guidance makes clear that criminal charges or an arrest alone do not automatically disqualify an elected school director from holding office — removal typically requires an actual conviction.

Separately, Section 514 of the Pennsylvania Public School Code of 1949 authorizes local school boards to remove officers or appointees for cause, including neglect of duty or improper conduct, but only after due notice and a hearing, according to FindLaw. Under Pennsylvania Crimes Code Title 18 Section 3903, a third-degree felony theft charge involving property valued above $2,000 carries a maximum penalty of up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000 per count, per Stephen Stewart Law — meaning Rivera's four felony counts carry substantial potential exposure. She remains presumed innocent, and the Lower Merion School Board cannot simply vote to strip her elected seat before the case is legally resolved.