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. 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. She is looking forward to getting on with life and will get treatment for her gambling addiction, he said. Ultimately, "they are not people we understand to be spiritual leaders of the church.". The St. James Catholic Church school in Torrance, California, on February 7, 2022. Her attorney said Kreuper will be on supervised release for two years once her prison sentence is complete. She claimed that the salary differential between nuns and priests meant she was owed this money, which is inconsistent with the vow of poverty she took.. 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. But as the archdiocese was completing its audit, it noticed something was off with the funding. The second suit was brought by Kristen Biel against St. James School in Torrance. I wanted them to see me," he says "and I just pray that the justices see the right way.". Her husband said that in her final days, the couple talked extensively about the case. 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. Chief Justice John Roberts announced the opinion from the bench, noting that the teacher who brought the case was not a lay teacher. But, Fisher counters, that "this isn't something you measure with a stopwatch." During the time period this was happening, she had no idea this was happening. This article was published more than1 year ago. 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). St.James Catholic School caught embezzling $500K for personal use, including gambling as church declines to press charges. var zergnet = document.createElement('script'); The money she stole was used to pay off credit card charges and "large gambling expenses incurred at casinos", the US attorney's office said. But Fisher notes that the schools in these cases do not claim any religious reason for firing the teachers. The sisters, described as best friends, both retired earlier this year. 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. 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. Mark Byrne, Kreupers attorney, told The Post his client had accepted the judges one-year prison sentence, even if they were pushing for probation. For more information about our use of cookies, our collection, use, and disclosure of personal information generally, and any rights you may have to access, delete, or opt out of the sale of your personal information, please view our Privacy Policy. They and their Order pray that you have not lost trust or faith in the educators and administrators of the school. 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. Well, Sister Mary Margaret didnt quite stay true to her vow. 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.". A Los Angeles nun recently pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $800,000. That was the first clue that unraveled a significant scheme. Investigators determined the money went to accounts the school didnt know about, Kumar said. 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. I, for one, absolutely love this move. Dan Mac Guill is a former writer for Snopes. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Nun stops burglary with quick thinking and prayers: This is Gods property, Sister Andre, the worlds oldest living person, dies at 118, I was a celibate nun for 24 years then fell in love with a Catholic monk, Priest accused of inviting two nuns to take part in a threesome. Sister Mary Margaret became a nun when she turned 18 in 1960 and took a vow of poverty. 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. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper admits to stealing over $835k from a Catholic School. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. Thanks for contacting us. Kreuper, he said, quoting an expert, was addicted to gambling, adding that it "is not an excuse for what she did merely an explanation". This material may not be reproduced without permission. Months after Kreuper admitted to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars, the 80-year-old was sentenced on Monday to a year and a day in federal prison. 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. "You don't want the government deciding who teaches religion we don't do that in this country that's why we have an establishment clause," says Rassbach. 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. 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. 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). Prosecutors say the nun also ordered school employees to alter and destroy financial records during the audit. She also controlled two savings accounts, one for the school and one for the nuns living expenses. The schools, "have never asserted that either of [the teachers] fell short in any religious duty or adherence to the faith," he says. The auditor found that tuition checks, fees and donations were being deposited into a bank account not used by the school. By that math, Sister Mary Margaret was only 66 when the behavior began. As a Catholic nun, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty. For the second time in as many weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court is tackling a major religion case. She is set to be arraigned in court on July 1. Earlier in June, the former principal of St. James School was charged with wire fraud and money laundering. 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. Kreuper as the schools principal, handled all tuition payments, with the sister depositing checks into a separate account that she and Chang had access to. She was the principal and had been colluding with longtime teacher Sister Lana Chang on the operation, per the Daily Breeze. 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.. 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. Indeed, he observes, they would be exempt not just from anti-discrimination laws, but also laws that protect individuals from retaliation when they report misbehavior to authorities, and laws imposing wage and hour regulations. Kreuper became principal at St. James Catholic School in 1990, a position she held for 28 years until her retirement in September 2018. A federal judge sentenced Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, a nun and former Catholic school principal, to a year in prison for embezzling more than $835,000 from the school she ran to fund a more secular lifestyle including gambling trips. 66 is still a fairly competent age. 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. var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; 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. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, of Los Angeles, was sentenced Monday to one year and one day for fraud and money laundering charges. The embezzlement helped to fuel her gambling habit. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang were seen as two of the strictest nuns at St James Catholic School in Torrance, California. G7 summit - Biden brings 1.2m Cadillac The Beast but will it fit down Cornwalls tiny country lanes. 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. After much public outcry to pursue legal action, the archdiocese hired a former FBI agent to investigate the two nuns. When she announced she was retiring in September 2018, the archdiocese conducted a financial review for the incoming principal. Officials pointed out that Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty as a nun. In June 2021, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper admitted to embezzling $835,000 from the Catholic school where she served as principal for 28 years. The fraud was discovered after an internal investigation at the end of the same year. Kumar said the nuns instruction to the auditors sparked suspicion, and they reported the incident to Msgr. Because the funds were to be restored, the archdiocese decided not to press criminal charges. In December of that year, fraud allegations emerged against her and another nun, Sister Lana Chang, who had taught at the school. She was also entrusted with overseeing the St. James Covenant Account, a savings account that funded the living expenses of the nuns who worked at the school, the indictment against her states. The scheme was uncovered during an audit after Kreuper retired in 2018. 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. Each of the counts carries a maximum sentence of 40 years behind bars. Of course, at 79, the likelihood that Sister Mary Margaret will see any jail time is relatively slim. Similar articles were published by the Los Angeles Times, KTLA, and Unilad.co.uk. At the heart of this dispute is the First Amendment ban on government establishment of religion and the separation of church and state. 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. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, who was principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, used the school funds to . 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. Her husband, Darryl Biel, remembers that day vividly. "She doesn't have anywhere to go," he said. 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. Kreuper falsified monthly and annual reports to cover up her crime and asked school employees to alter and destroy financial records during an audit. Kobe Bryant's widow awarded nearly $29m after police shared photos of helicopter crash, Doctors recommend end-of-life decision for Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore, Ramon Escobar: Serial murderer suspected of killing prison inmate. Is A Hot Dog A Sandwich? But this week, prosecutors said Sister Mary Margaret, 79, had agreed to plead guilty to stealing more than. Instead of sitting in the Supreme Court chamber, though, Biel, like the rest of us, will be at home listening. 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. Her embezzlement activities took place from about 2008-2018. James School.. The schools denied that Morrissey-Berru and Biel were fired for discriminatory reasons. 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.. One parent told the outlet of the situation: "It's crazy. Each time, Kreuper had the same response to the community, according to the Times: How do you expect to pay for it? All the while, Kreuper spoke openly about her gambling trips, saying her vice principals wealthy relatives funded the casino excursions to Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe, prosecutors say. 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. 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. She faces up to 40 years in federal prison, but is claiming mental illness. At the time, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet imposed restrictions on the two women, writing in a news release that: "The two Sisters are removed from all public ministry. These nuns took a vow of poverty and said, Oh no, weve got a rich uncle, parent Jack Alexander said. Kreuper originally pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering back in 2021. She, too, retired in 2018. 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". James Convent, not St. Pic: St James Catholic School. 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. He said he could not bring himself to judge Kreuper solely on "the worst thing that she's done in her life", the LA Times said. But somewhere along the line, you just ran completely off the road, and I think you understand that. Police will still present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office, NBC reported. Kreuper, who took vows of poverty at age 18 and spent 59 years in the religious order, said in her plea agreement that she had begun diverting money from the schools tuition and donation account to a savings account that funded the living expenses of the nuns who worked at the school and then used some of the money herself. She really didnt stay true to it at all, actually. "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=47402'; 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. Kreuper as the school's principal, handled all tuition payments, with the sister depositing checks into a separate . American sister stole money from accounts she controlled as a headteacher and used it to pay off credit card charges and "large gambling expenses incurred at casinos". Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, was charged Tuesday with wire fraud and money laundering for ripping off St. James Catholic School for a period of 10 years ending in September 2018, according to . She would endorse the checks with a stamp saying St. There is another, and rather rich, twist to one of the cases before the court Monday. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, a former principal at St James Catholic School in Torrance, California, used tuition fees and donations to subsidize casino gambling expenses and credit card. She was so hurt that they could be doing this to her.". 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. James Convent instead of St. The first teacher, Agnes Morrissey-Berru, claimed her employment contract was not renewed after 16 years service because of illegal age discrimination. Apparently, the Vegas trips were common knowledge, but the nuns explained that the gambling excursions were gifts from a rich uncle. (RNS) Recently Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, a Catholic nun who stole $835,000 from a Catholic elementary school in Torrance, California, was sent to prison for a year and ordered to pay the . Along with her sentence, she was ordered to pay $825,338 in restitution. I have sinned, Ive broken the law and I have no excuses, Kreuper said at the sentencing over Zoom. But she appreciates the outpouring of support shes received from people who have decided that rather to judge her on these actions toward the end of her career and life, theyve taken her whole life into consideration.. 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. The Rev. All rights reserved. 15 Episodes of Seinfeld That Teach Everything You Need To Know About Life. When Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper became a nun, she took vows to live as Jesus did through chastity, obedience and service to the poor, sick and uneducated. This is because, as part of the plea deal, the prosecutors have agreed to recommend to the court an "offense level" of 25 for Kreuper's crimes, and will further advise the court to reduce that to 23, or even 22. Sister Kreuper who took a vow of poverty confessed to using the embezzled funds to pay for personal expenses, including her gambling habit. She then used some of the funds to pay for "large gambling expenses incurred at casinos and certain credit card charges.. German cardinal offers to resign over sexual abuse catastrophe, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. The embezzlement helped to fuel her gambling habit. 2022 Blaze Media LLC. Maryland man, 52, sues bar over ban cause he was old Missouri daughter secretly donates kidney to ailing dad. I don't drink coffee, I wake up jacked. Officials made the discovery in June after performing a routine audit following Kreupers retirement. Her husband, Darryl Biel, remembers that day vividly. Kreuper did not recognize she had a gambling problem until she was accused of embezzling more than $835,000 from the school, Byrne said. 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. Advice for the relationships in your life and how to boost your own well-being. znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr); It involves two fifth-grade teachers at Catholic schools in California. The now-retired nun (I didnt know nuns could retire) admitted to stealing about $835,000 in donations, tuition and fees. St. James teacher Lana Chang admitted along with Kreuper to the embezzlement in 2018, following each of their retirements earlier that year. The Daily Caller | 1775 Eye Street NW | Suite 1150-290 | Washington, DC 20006. Eric Rassbach of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, who is representing the schools before the court, disagrees. His . "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.". Kreuper stole the funds over the course of ten years, ending in 2018. Now, nearly three years later, she faces up to 40 years in prison and will appear in the Federal District Court in Los Angeles on July 1. We use cookies to better understand website visitors, for advertising, and to offer you a better experience. We do know that they had a pattern of going on trips, we do know they had a pattern of going to casinos, and the reality is, they used the account as their personal account, Marge Graf, an attorney representing St. James, told a group of parents at a meeting in 2018. "Millions of people across the country who never thought or understood themselves to be leaders of the faith" would now "magically have no employment protections," he says. Church officials said they did not wish to press charges against the sisters, who both expressed remorse. 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. We've received your submission. In the audio, as well as in a previous Web version, of this story, we incorrectly say the fourth-grade teacher in a 2012 case was ordained as a minister. Sister Mary Margaret and Sister Lana were both Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Julija Garunkstis, a St. James mother who attended the school between 2005 and 2014, said Kreuper had shaken her faith. I promised her I would see this through," he says. 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. It was only after she vacated her position that school officials unearthed her fraudulent scheme. However, the church chose not to press charges against the two nuns. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty. Prosecutors had recommended a 24-month prison sentence, three years of . Sister Mary Margaret was caught in 2018. Nun who stole $835K from school to fund gambling habit is going to prison: I have sinned, Carolyn Hax: Boyfriends visits leave single mom with no time for herself, Miss Manners: What to do when a fellow diner was rude to server. In June 2021, several local, national, and international news outlets reported that a nun in California had admitted, and was preparing to plead guilty to, embezzling $835,000 from the Catholic school she ran for three decades. 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. Local 10 Newsreported Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang of St.James Catholic School(both retiring earlier this year) using money from the schools funds to live a life of luxury over the last ten years. Starting in 2008, Kreuper diverted school funds to pay for expenses that the order would not have approved, much less paid for, prosecutors say. In doing so, she agreed to plead guilty to: The money laundering charge relates to an episode in 2017, in which Kreuper improperly deposited checks from parents of pupils at the school into a convent bank account, rather than the school's bank account, then later used the convent account to write a $6,000 check to another unnamed person who subsequently cashed the check and gave Kreuper $6,000 in cash "so she could gamble in Nevada.". Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty confessed to using embezzled. Vacated her position that school officials unearthed her fraudulent scheme Daily Caller | 1775 Eye Street NW Suite... Noting that the justices see the right way. `` a position she held for 28 years her. Retirements earlier that year and will get treatment for her gambling habit get treatment her! Service because of illegal age discrimination after she vacated her position that school officials unearthed her scheme. 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