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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79,of Los Angeles, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, She defrauded St. James Catholic Schoolover a period of 10 years, 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, Also implicated in the scheme was Lana Chang, who worked as a teacher at St. James before becoming vice principal, Nun, 79, STOLE $835,000 from Catholic school over 10 years to fund her gambling trips, Teenage boy shot friend, 15, in face with his grandad's shotgun after 'being repeatedly humiliated and bullied by him', Apple pie could be CANCELED after writer links treat to genocide and cultural appropriation, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have 'done nothing but seek publicity' since leaving UK, former Palace aide claims, Woman, 21, records terrifying moment Uber driver relentlessly pesters her for sex despite her telling him 'no', Inside Bidens 30million G7 ring of steel with warships, The Beast & 400 Secret Service agents watching his every move, Murder probe scuppered after alligator makes off with dead body found floating in river, JBSA Lackland put on lockdown after shooting outside Air Force base in San Antonio. They and their Order pray that you have not lost trust or faith in the educators and administrators of the school. Maryland man, 52, sues bar over ban cause he was old Missouri daughter secretly donates kidney to ailing dad. Rather, he said, she is religiously trained and a commissioned minister of the church. All they needed to do was get through the school year. Ultimately, he argues, the schools consider the teachers to be performing an important religious function, and therefore, they can be fired for any reason because they are not subject to the nation's fair employment laws. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, was sentenced to a year in prison and ordered to pay $825,338 in restitution. G7 summit - Biden brings 1.2m Cadillac The Beast but will it fit down Cornwalls tiny country lanes. Kreuper was 18 years old when she took her vow of poverty, according to her lawyers, and spent the next 59 years of her life dedicated to the church. (deployads = window.deployads || []).push({}); (function() { She admitted to taking a total of $835,000 in donations from the elementary school, and faces up to 40 years in federal prison. Southern California authorities have revealed two nuns allegedly embezzling up to $500K which was parlayed into gambling jaunts in Las Vegas. For the second time in as many weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court is tackling a major religion case. Instead of sitting in the Supreme Court chamber, though, Biel, like the rest of us, will be at home listening. In these records you will find the most recent and the most authoritative articles on the topics, people and events that are shaping the . "Far from it. Two nuns who formerly worked at St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, confessed to embezzling at least $500,000 from the school so that they could gamble it away at Las Vegas casinos, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said at a meeting with parents and alumni on Monday. According to prosecutors, Kreuper admitted that she falsified monthly and annual reports to the school administration to cover up her fraudulent conduct and lulled St James School and the administration into believing that the schools finances were being properly accounted for and its financial assets properly safeguarded, which, in turn, allowed defendant Kreuper to maintain her access and control of the schools finances and accounts and, thus, continue operating the fraudulent scheme.. She was the principal and had been colluding with longtime teacher Sister Lana Chang on the operation, per the Daily Breeze. Police will still present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office, NBC reported. Kreuper, 79, was charged Tuesday with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, and in a plea agreement pleaded guilty to both charges, the Associated Press reported. But Fisher notes that the schools in these cases do not claim any religious reason for firing the teachers. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering after she admitted to investigators that she embezzled hundreds of thousands of. But the court's eventual decision could reach beyond teachers, affecting the lives of millions of other employees who work for religiously affiliated institutions. 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.". According to prosecutors, Kreuper had stolen whats estimated to have been the tuition for 14 students at the K-8 school in funds that were intended to further the students education, not fund [Kreupers] lifestyle., When confronted, the defendant admitted to stealing the money, Kumar said. Were those functions to be considered ministerial, Fisher says, the results would be dire. Earlier in June, the former principal of St. James School was charged with wire fraud and money laundering. 2022 Blaze Media LLC. On Monday night, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles told parents and alumni at a meeting that Sisters Mary Margaret Kreuper and Lana Chang, described as best friends, took around $500,000 from St . She claimed that she was fired after she told her superior, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true; She is looking forward to getting on with life and will get treatment for her gambling addiction, he said. Of course, at 79, the likelihood that Sister Mary Margaret will see any jail time is relatively slim. Her husband said that in her final days, the couple talked extensively about the case. Sister Mary Margaret was making bank (very illegally) through laundering and threw everyone off of the scent by reminding them of her vow of poverty. Thanks for contacting us. 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. "She's 80. Sister Lana Chang, a vice principal who was initially implicated in the scheme, was not charged. Associate Editor at BroBible covering all five major sports and every niche sport imaginable, found primarily in the college space. We do know that they had a pattern of going on trips. But Fisher counters that function can't be the only criterion because many employers at religiously affiliated institutions sincerely believe that all of their employees perform important ministerial functions, from nurses who care for the sick, to summer camp counselors for troubled teenagers, and athletic coaches who mold the character of their charges and often lead them in prayer. 5 Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering Credit: KCAL 9 5 Eric Rassbach of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, who is representing the schools before the court, disagrees. It involves two fifth-grade teachers at Catholic schools in California. 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. In June 2021, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper admitted to embezzling $835,000 from the Catholic school where she served as principal for 28 years. I was wrong, and Im profoundly sorry for the pain and suffering Ive caused so many people., Despite her vow of poverty, nun stole more than $835,000 from a Catholic school, prosecutors said. 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. The fraud was discovered after an internal investigation at the end of the same year. Poonam Kumar, the assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California who prosecuted the case, told The Washington Post that Kreuper had diverted checks and cash from St. James parents into a long-overlooked church account to pay for large gambling expenses incurred at casinos and certain credit-card charges. The actions were done before the money could be accounted for, displaying repetitive and deceptive behavior, over and over again, the prosecutor said. She also controlled two savings accounts, one for the school and one for the nuns living expenses. Mary Margaret Kreuper, a nun who admitted stealing more than $800,000 from St. James Catholic School in Torrance when she was its principal, spent some of the money on trips to Las Vegas and. The Greatest Food Debates Of All Time, Answered Pineapple On Pizza? According to Newstalk.com, the school indicated in a letter to parents at the time that they did not want to pursue criminal charges against the duo, after they both expressed "desire and inten[t] to make complete restitution to St. James School.". Many parents were outraged with the initial decision not to press charges, with some remarking that if the nuns were lay people, they would certainly be in jail according to the presstelegram. Kreuper falsified monthly and annual reports to cover up her crime and asked school employees to alter and destroy financial records during an audit. She was so hurt that they could be doing this to her.". She, too, retired in 2018. 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.". Well, Sister Mary Margaret didnt quite stay true to her vow. Her husband, Darryl Biel, remembers that day vividly. 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. Investigators determined the money went to accounts the school didnt know about, Kumar said. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet confirm that today the judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles has sentenced our Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, CSJ to one year and one day in federal prison followed by two years' supervised release. A now-retired nun has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $800,000 from the St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, from 2008 to 2018, the last decade of her 28-year tenure as principal of the institution.Sister Kreuper who took a vow of poverty confessed to using the . Monday's case, however, does not involve trained and ordained ministers of the faith. When first confronted by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper blamed the gender pay gap and said she deserved a raise because "priests get paid better than nuns". Parents and alumni of St. James told KTTV-TV in late 2018 that they hoped the school followed through with pursuing criminal complaints against Kreuper and Chang. 2023 Blaze Media LLC. She would endorse the checks with a stamp saying St. Deadly France Christmas market shooting probed as terror a 11-year-old reads aloud from 'pornographic' book he checked out from library at school board meeting, Family raises 250-pound 'dog' for 2 years then realizes it's a bear, Influencer refuses to switch business class seats so family can sit together, 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards: Lana Del Ray, Kim Petras, & more, RHOA star Drew Sidora accuses ex Ralph Pittman of cheating, mental abuse, Original Gone With The Wind script reveals secret war over slavery, cut scenes, Good luck 'worming' your way out of this one, Sunny Hostin Points Finger at China for COVID Crisis: Did Not Cooperate With the International Community, 'Disgraceful' Meghan, Harry 'provoked' King Charles to evict them: royal expert. var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; 15 Episodes of Seinfeld That Teach Everything You Need To Know About Life. One article quoted a church accountant as ball-parking the amount at $500,000. Let us pray for our school families and for Sister Mary Margaret and Sister Lana, the letter added. James Convent, not St. Recap: Court Weighs Whether Religious Schools Can Fire Lay Workers, Listen Live: Supreme Court Arguments Schedule, Top 5 Moments From The Supreme Court's 1st Week Of Livestreaming Arguments, Fervor Vs Compromise At Supreme Court Birth Control Arguments, Supreme Court Arguments A Tech Success, But Format Strangles Usual Give-And-Take, Supreme Court Considers Anti-Prostitution Pledge In HIV/AIDS Funding Case. 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. Prosecutors said that she had also instructed school employees to alter and destroy financial records. She faces up to 40 years in federal prison, but is claiming mental illness. Make sure you see our stories daily directly to your inbox. I promised her I would see this through," he says. Its an explanation.. })(); 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. When Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper was 18 years old, she vowed to dedicate her life to the education of children and helping those in need. During his sentencing, Wright, a 2007 appointee under President George W. Bush, praised Kreuper for her tenure as one heck of a teacher at the school. 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. The principal allegedly withheld some of the checks and deposited them into the other account, endorsing the back with a stamp that read, St. Told one parent, We were an ATM, and people know it and they wont ask for justice., The embezzlement and the churchs seeming reluctance to act has led to some locals saying the scandal underscores a failure of church leadership- while also noting that only a police investigation can be trusted.. His wife, he said, drove into their driveway "in tears bawling hysterically. Nuns should realize that just by living their lives and living the way they do and treating people the way they do, they affect children for the rest of their lives, the judge said, according to the Los Angeles Times. 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. As principal of St. James Catholic School, she oversaw the money the school received to pay for tuition and fees as well as charitable donations. When first confronted, Mr Kumar said, the nun claimed she "did it in part because she believes priests get paid better than nuns". Copyright 2008-2023 BroBible. Kreuper, who had taken a vow of poverty as a nun, worked as a principal at St. James Catholic School in Torrance for 28 years and allegedly embezzled the funds for 10 years until her retirement in 2018. 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 . A now-retired nun has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $800,000 from the St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, from 2008 to 2018, the last decade of her 28-year tenure as principal of the institution. This was a manifestation of greed, Kumar said, adding that the nun had abused the trust of the community. We use cookies to better understand website visitors, for advertising, and to offer you a better experience. By Colin Groundwater June 9, 2021 Two summers ago, Sean Flynn reported a wild story for GQ about two very. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering on Tuesday and has agreed to a plea deal, according to a release from the U.S. attorneys office for the Central District of California. Because the funds were to be restored, the archdiocese decided not to press criminal charges. 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. I, for one, absolutely love this move. The rich uncle was the parents of the St. James students., The school monsignor has since sent out a letter in which the nuns asked that i convey to you the deep remorse they each feel for their actions and ask for your forgiveness and prayers.. (Shutterstock) LOS ANGELES, CA The retired principal of a Catholic . "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. She spent the next 59 years of her life dedicated to the church, they said. 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. Around the same time, a St. James parent asked question at a school meeting about an old tuition check that had an endorsement on the back of check that did not line up with the schools primary account, the prosecutor said. Kreuper originally pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering back in 2021. We use cookies to better understand website visitors, for advertising, and to offer you a better experience. When this was going on, she was not nearly as old. The scheme was uncovered during an audit after Kreuper retired in 2018. Prosecutors say the nun also ordered school employees to alter and destroy financial records during the audit. An 80-year-old nun who gambled away more than $835,000 in school funds was sentenced to twelve months and a day in federal prison Monday, according to a press release from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). The schools denied that Morrissey-Berru and Biel were fired for discriminatory reasons. The nuns order says the woman are cooperating and intend to pay all of the money back in full. For years, St. James parents were told that the school was cash-strapped and unable to upgrade textbooks that were 20 years old, fund field trips or simply install an awning for the outdoor lunch area. A federal appeals court ruled against the schools, which appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Kreuper also admitted to falsifying monthly and annual reports to the school administration in an effort to cover up the embezzlement. But as the archdiocese was completing its audit, it noticed something was off with the funding. She must give up the right to control or benefit from personal property and commits herself to live interdependently within a community. The nun took frequent gambling trips to Las Vegas and holidays to Lake Tahoe and other locations in southern California, according to Poonam Kumar, the assistant US attorney. The second suit was brought by Kristen Biel against St. James School in Torrance. Shes very, very remorseful and very ashamed, he said. That was the first clue that unraveled a significant scheme. Since 2014, The Marshall Project has been curating some of the best criminal justice reporting from around the web. This article was published more than1 year ago. The tuition checks and funds sent to St. James Catholic School between 2008 and 2018 that were stolen by Kreuper equaled the tuition of 14 different students per year, prosecutors said. Order pray that you have not lost trust or faith in the college.. Shes very, very remorseful and very ashamed, he said, she was so that... Destroy financial records during an audit after kreuper retired in 2018 teachers at Catholic schools in California ordained ministers the! Involve trained and a commissioned minister of the church prison, but is claiming mental illness chamber,,... Lana Chang, a vice principal who was initially implicated in the scheme, was not charged BroBible covering five... 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