Despite the ongoing thefts, financial statements revealed the church continuing to operate in the black as the two sisters clandestinely plowed through church funds. These nuns took a vow of poverty and said, Oh no, weve got a rich uncle, parent Jack Alexander said. Maryland man, 52, sues bar over ban cause he was old Missouri daughter secretly donates kidney to ailing dad. But. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, who took a vow of poverty, begged a judge to show her mercy and spare her prison, saying: "I have sinned, I've broken the law and I have no excuses." She called her crimes a "violation of my vows, my commandments, the law and, above all, the sacred trust that so many had placed in me". Is A Hot Dog A Sandwich? St. James teacher Lana Chang admitted along with Kreuper to the embezzlement in 2018, following each of their retirements earlier that year. News of the indiscretions led to the archdiocese and the church announcing they wouldnt file criminal charges against the nuns after apologizing for their actions. As headteacher at St James Catholic School, which she ran for 28 years, she "controlled accounts at a credit union, including a savings account for the school and one established to pay the living expenses of the nuns employed by the school", prosecutors said. Cyclist falls to her death after drawbridge opens while shes on it, Trump tells Joe Rogan to stop apologizing for Spotify controversies, Frozen out of GoFundMe, Canadian protest convoy raises millions on Christian sit. Make sure you see our stories daily directly to your inbox. At the heart of this dispute is the First Amendment ban on government establishment of religion and the separation of church and state. The Archdiocese appears to have now changed course-with ABC Newsreporting a criminal case may now be in the works following deepening investigations. The auditor found that tuition checks, fees and donations were being deposited into a bank account not used by the school. It's very disturbing. zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true; Associate Editor at BroBible covering all five major sports and every niche sport imaginable, found primarily in the college space. In June 2021, Mary Margaret Kreuper, a Catholic nun in the Los Angeles congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, entered into a plea agreement with the U.S. District Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, whereby she committed to pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, and admitted taking part in a 10-year scheme to defraud St. James' Catholic School, an elementary school in Torrance, California, where she had served as principal for 28 years, to the amount of $835,000. Sister Mary Margaret and Sister Lana have expressed to me and asked that I convey to you, the deep remorse they each feel for their actions and ask for your forgiveness and prayers, Meyers wrote in a letter to parents on Nov. 28. I don't drink coffee, I wake up jacked. A Los Angeles nun recently pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $800,000. Her husband said that in her final days, the couple talked extensively about the case. He had planned to be in Washington for Monday's argument. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, who was principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, used the school funds to pay for personal expenses, including gambling trips, according to the release. She really didnt stay true to it at all, actually. Five of the nine justices hearing Monday's case attended Catholic secondary schools, and several of them have sent their children to parochial schools as well. The two holy women were eventually caught out after a recent audit. Also implicated in the scheme was Lana Chang, who worked as a teacher at St. James before becoming vice principal. var zergnet = document.createElement('script'); Investigators determined the money went to accounts the school didnt know about, Kumar said. })(); Adriana Kuch attackers identified on social media in planned attack, St Louis execution shooting of homeless man: arrest made, Karen calls cops on black men shovelling snow for free outsider her home, Idaho murder suspect had multiple photos of female victim on phone, Torrance Catholic school nuns steal $500K for gambling habit- church resists charges. Wright acknowledged in court that while he struggled to judge Kreuper, a decorated principal, on the worst thing that shes done in her life, the impact nuns have on young people in leading by example is crucial and the nuns actions gambled away that guiding principle. She claimed that she was fired after she told her superior, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The schools, "have never asserted that either of [the teachers] fell short in any religious duty or adherence to the faith," he says. Kumar said the nuns instruction to the auditors sparked suspicion, and they reported the incident to Msgr. The archdiocese of Los Angeles said in statement that the community of faith at St James was shocked and saddened by these actions and expressed gratitude to local and federal law enforcement agencies for their work in the investigation of this matter. Kreuper admitted embezzling about $835,000 (616,000) in donations, tuition and fee money between 2008 and 2018. However, the church chose not to press charges against the two nuns. On June 9, for example, Fox News reported that: A retired Los Angeles nun will plead guilty to embezzling $835,000 from the elementary school where she worked in order to cover her gambling habits and other personal expenses, officials said this week. James Convent, not St. Mary Kreuper: Nun who stole $835,000 to fund gambling habit admits 'I have sinned', Sister Mary Kreuper embezzled more than 600,000 from the school where she worked. As principal, Kreuper had been in charge of the school's credit union account, where she was meant to deposit cash and checks from tuition, fees and donations. "Such action interferes with the internal governance of the church, depriving the church of control over the selection of those who will personify its beliefs.". She admitted to taking a total of $835,000 in donations from the elementary school, and faces up to 40 years in federal prison. Maybe if she had used her poker face to see more success in Vegas, she wouldnt have been in this position to begin with. Kreuper was 18 years old when she took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, her lawyers told the Post. She is expected to report to prison by June, Byrne said, and will be released in 2023. The two would skim money off of the top through separate school bank accounts and then head out to Vegas and put it into the casinos. However, around the same time, a family at the school asked for an old check they had written to St. James. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, the retired principal of St. James Catholic School in California, has been sentenced to one year and a day in prison on charges of money laundering and federal wire. Yes, a Nun Has Admitted to Embezzling $835,000 from a Catholic School Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering for her role in a scheme to defraud a. Kreuper has agreed to plead guilty to the charges in a deal with prosecutors, the US Attorney's Office of California said in a statement. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, who worked as the school principal for 28 years, and Sister Lana Chang, a teacher at the school for 20 years, reportedly bilked the funds over a period of at least a decade, the Press-Telegram reported. "Far from it. Thanks for contacting us. She must give up the right to control or benefit from personal property and commits herself to live interdependently within a community. The embezzlement helped to fuel her gambling habit. Although, formally speaking, Kreuper could face a punishment of up to 40 years in prison, it's unlikely she will receive such a long sentence. This large chunk of stolen money came as the St. James Catholic School was operating under tight budgets with small concerns that the finances could not continue to keep the door open. At least I hope you do.. Parents said the two nuns were big on moral. Similar articles were published by the Los Angeles Times, KTLA, and Unilad.co.uk. A NUN is set to plead guilty to embezzling more than $830,000 from the Catholic elementary school she ran to bankroll her gambling habit, prosecutors say. Michael Meyers, the churchs monsignor, said Kreuper was very nervous and anxious during the audit and she reportedly asked staff members to change school records. zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? Starting in 2008, Kreuper diverted school funds to pay for expenses that the order would not have approved, much less paid for, prosecutors say. If Kreuper has no prior criminal history, under federal sentencing guidelines the sentencing range should be between 41 and 57 months (between around three-and-a-half and five years), though the court will have the final say in her punishment. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty in July to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges. Kristen Biel would return to teaching elsewhere while fighting her case in court, but in June 2019, she died. Copyright 2008-2023 BroBible. Earlier in June, the former principal of St. James School was charged with wire fraud and money laundering. Officials made the discovery in June after performing a routine audit following Kreupers retirement. "These teachers taught the Catholic faith to these kids more than the parish priest," putting them squarely within the so-called ministerial exception, he says. The sisters later confessed to using the funds for themselves. She is looking forward to getting on with life and will get treatment for her gambling addiction, he said. In her plea agreement, Sister Mary Margaret confirmed that the stolen money was used for credit card charges and large gambling expenses incurred at casinos. the U.S. attorneys office said. Other parents remarked it was well-known that Kreuper and Chang traveled often and went gambling, with the two women claiming they were gifted the trips by a rich relative. The church body in the case commissions teachers as ministers, but does not ordain them. The purpose is to protect leaders of the faith, and their religions, from interference by the government. The judges sentencing came as detractors and supporters showed up over Zoom to testify against or pledge their support for Kreuper, who had been a nun for 62 years. I have sinned, I have broken the law and I have no excuses, Kreuper told the judge during her hearing, according to the Los Angeles Times. By that math, Sister Mary Margaret was only 66 when the behavior began. The Torrance Police Department, the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation into the allegations against Kreuper. Her attorney said Kreuper will be on supervised release for two years once her prison sentence is complete. Local 10 News reported Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang of St.James Catholic School (both retiring earlier this year) using money from the school's funds to live a life of luxury over the last ten years. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, who was principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, used the school funds to . But the court's eventual decision could reach beyond teachers, affecting the lives of millions of other employees who work for religiously affiliated institutions. By signing up to the Blaze News newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications from Blaze Media that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content. We use cookies to better understand website visitors, for advertising, and to offer you a better experience. I wanted them to see me," he says "and I just pray that the justices see the right way.". Were those functions to be considered ministerial, Fisher says, the results would be dire. In these records you will find the most recent and the most authoritative articles on the topics, people and events that are shaping the . As principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, she certainly did but while also embezzling more than $835,000 in funds to support her secretive gambling habit. If these teachers are exempt, he adds, then millions of employees are automatically exempt from laws enacted by Congress to protect workers, simply because they perform some duty their employer considers religious. But they asserted that the courts should dismiss the cases because the teachers were essentially ministers, and thus were not protected under the federal employment laws. The judge settled on a prison sentence of one year and a day and also ordered Kreuper to pay back the money she had stolen from the school. We do know that they had a pattern of going on trips. They say she also instructed employees at the school to alter and destroy financial records during a school audit, investigators found. Sister Mary Margaret became a nun when she turned 18 in 1960 and took a vow of poverty. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images). They have been removed from their residence, placed in a religious house under the supervision of community leadership, and their freedom of movement is confined.". As outlined in her plea agreement, beginning in 2008, Kreuper began depositing tuition checks and donations into the school's account and then diverted the money into the covenant account. Asking for the nun to be spared from prison, her lawyer Mark Byrne told the court she has been kept under "severe restrictions" at a convent by the nuns in her order. Kreuper, he said, quoting an expert, was addicted to gambling, adding that it "is not an excuse for what she did merely an explanation". znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr); We use cookies to better understand website visitors, for advertising, and to offer you a better experience. An elderly nun who pleaded guilty to embezzling from a Catholic school to fund her own gambling trips has been sentenced to a year in federal prison. Kreuper stole the funds over the course of ten years, ending in 2018. Monday's case, however, does not involve trained and ordained ministers of the faith. One parent told the outlet of the situation: "It's crazy. 15 Episodes of Seinfeld That Teach Everything You Need To Know About Life. Mary Margaret Kreuper was so close to getting away with it. (deployads = window.deployads || []).push({}); (function() { "Requiring a church to accept or retain an unwanted minister or punishing a church for failing to do so intrudes upon more than a mere employment decision," Roberts said. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, who worked as the school principal for 28 years, and Sister Lana Chang, a teacher at the school for 20 years, reportedly bilked the funds over a period of at least a . According to the outlet, "Kreuper acknowledged diverting money to pay for personal expenses that included credit card charges and 'large gambling expenses incurred at casinos,' the U.S. attorney's office said.". Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering on Tuesday for defrauding St. James Catholic School over a period of 10 years. Mark Byrne, Kreupers attorney, told The Post his client had accepted the judges one-year prison sentence, even if they were pushing for probation. He argued that while the money she stole might have affected the schools funding, her actions didnt decrease the quality of education students received at St. James. The account was opened in 1997 but had not been used in years, until Sister Mary Margaret started diverting checks into the forgotten account. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79,of Los Angeles, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering on Tuesday for defraudingSt. James Catholic Schoolover a period of 10 years. They added that "later in her life, she has been suffering from a mental illness that clouded her judgment and caused her to do something that she otherwise would not have done.. ( Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images ) school was charged with wire fraud and money charges. Once her prison sentence is complete was charged with wire fraud and money laundering.! 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