Priests fleeced Florida flock of millions

[MedicCook]

Cops: Priests fleeced Florida flock of millions

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/LAW/09/28/priests.charged.ap/vert.priest.ap.jpg
Police say Francis Guinan. and another Roman Catholic priest stole at least $8.6 million from parishioners over 40 years.

DELRAY BEACH, Florida (AP) -- Two Roman Catholic priests stole millions in offerings and gifts made to their parish as far back as 40 years ago, prosecutors said Thursday.

Monsignor John Skehan, who was pastor at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church for four decades, was arrested Wednesday night on charges that he stole $8.6 million from the church, using the money to buy property and other assets, investigators said.

The 79-year-old priest was arrested at Palm Beach International Airport as he returned from Ireland and was being held on $400,000 bond on grand theft charges.

The Rev. Francis Guinan, who succeeded Skehan three years ago, has disappeared and was being sought, city police and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said. He is alleged to have stolen an unspecified amount of money to take gambling trips to Las Vegas and the Bahamas.

An anonymous tip in June 2005 led police and the church to launch the investigation.

A spokeswoman with the Diocese of Palm Beach did not immediately return calls seeking comment. It could not be immediately determined if Skehan has an attorney.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/09/28/priests.charged.ap/index.html

[MedicCook]

Priest Says He Took Money Because He Was Underpaid

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. -- A priest who allegedly misappropriated millions of dollars from a Delray Beach Catholic church told police he saw himself as the CEO of a multimillion-dollar company who wasn't properly compensated, according to a search warrant.

Rev. John Skehan acknowledged misdirecting money from St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church when police arrested him on grand theft charges at Palm Beach International Airport last month, a warrant released Friday shows.

Authorities charged Skehan and Rev. Francis Guinan with grand theft, alleging they stole more than $400,000 from the parish's donations. An audit conducted by the Diocese of Palm Beach alleges the pair misappropriated $8.7 million.

Skehan is free on $400,000 bond. Guinan is in Australia, and authorities are negotiating with his attorney, David Roth, to have Guinan turn himself in to Florida authorities by the end of the month.

Attorneys for the men did not did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment Saturday.

"Skehan gave his opinion that he was never properly paid by the diocese, he was running a big business and getting nothing for it," the search warrant says. "He took what he had coming to him, as the diocese was cheap and never paid for his education."

Skehan said he used some of the money to help other people, including a previous co-worker, whom he paid $675 a week because she allegedly had health issues, the warrant said.

Skehan also told police that Guinan took money from the Easter collections, leaving bookkeepers with empty envelopes.

Skehan also admitted setting up slush fund accounts, which were in place when Guinan took over as pastor. He told the church staff to create two sets of books to protect the actual amount of offertory money from the diocese because he was concerned it would take money from the church, the warrant said.

http://davesdaily.com/out.php?id=20805&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.local6.com%2Fnews%2F10025428% 2Fdetail.html

[MedicCook]

Greedy motherfuckers. I thought this was your calling to serve your God.