One article quoted a church accountant as ball-parking the amount at $500,000. Jaclyn Peiser contributed to this report. James Convent instead of St. Copyright 2008-2023 BroBible. It involves two fifth-grade teachers at Catholic schools in California. 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. All they needed to do was get through the school year. She claimed that she was fired after she told her superior, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Rassbach will tell the Supreme Court that not everyone who works at a religious school or institution is exempt from these laws. 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, 80, was sentenced on Monday to 12 months and one day in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II and ordered to pay $825,338 in restitution to the St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California . Police will still present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office, NBC reported. Meyers reported it to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, who hired their own auditor. They dont want you to see this Big Tech does its best to limit what news you see. 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. Is A Hot Dog A Sandwich? At Monday's argument, Stanford law professor Jeff Fisher, who is representing the teachers, will tell the justices that by the terms of the teachers' contracts and the school handbooks, these teachers were hired to teach academic subjects. The Greatest Food Debates Of All Time, Answered Pineapple On Pizza? Kreuper, he said, quoting an expert, was addicted to gambling, adding that it "is not an excuse for what she did merely an explanation". 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. Investigators described a system in which Kreuper handled all checks made out to the school for tuition and fees before handing them over to bookkeeping staff for processing. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, admitted stealing the money from St James Catholic School in the L.A. suburb of Torrance, where she was school principal for nearly 30 years. The vow leads a nun to imitate Jesus, who for our sake became poor, although he was rich. They say she also instructed employees at the school to alter and destroy financial records during a school audit, investigators found. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images). Make sure you see our stories daily directly to your inbox. The pair confessed to using the funds for gambling excursions to Las Vegas and other spending sprees. He had planned to be in Washington for Monday's argument. Her attorney said Kreuper will be on supervised release for two years once her prison sentence is complete. The purpose is to protect leaders of the faith, and their religions, from interference by the government. 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 payments, the authorities said. A Los Angeles nun recently pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $800,000. As a Catholic nun, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty. Instead of sitting in the Supreme Court chamber, though, Biel, like the rest of us, will be at home listening. For decades, lower courts have recognized an exception to the nation's employment laws for ministers. Sister Mary Margaret and Sister Lana were both Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Ive used this to teach my son that were all human, we all make mistakes, but the power of forgiveness is the most powerful tool that we have.. In a statement to the Washinton Post her attorneys, Mark A. Byrne and Daniel V. Nixon, said she is very remorseful and sorry for any harm she has caused.. She was so hurt that they could be doing this to her.". The Rev. Pic: St James Catholic School. 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. 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. James School.. 2023 Blaze Media LLC. Claiming mental illness at her age is a play for probation or the ability to serve her sentence at home. Kreuper belongs to the order of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; 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. He added, Its not meant as an excuse. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, who was principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, used the school funds to . 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. 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. 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. These nuns took a vow of poverty and said, Oh no, weve got a rich uncle, parent Jack Alexander said. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, was sentenced to a year in prison and ordered to pay $825,338 in restitution. Let us pray for our school families and for Sister Mary Margaret and Sister Lana, the letter added. Kreuper as the school's principal, handled all tuition payments, with the sister depositing checks into a separate . 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. Kreuper stole the funds over the course of ten years, ending in 2018. 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. "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. After much public outcry to pursue legal action, the archdiocese hired a former FBI agent to investigate the two nuns. Kreuper retired as principal of St. James' Catholic School in 2018, after holding that position for 28 years. But. She spent the next 59 years of her life dedicated to the church, they said. Instead, the school's principal, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, was stealing the money and using it to bankroll her gambling habit, federal prosecutors said, violating her vow of poverty. She then used some of the funds to pay for "large gambling expenses incurred at casinos and certain credit card charges.. 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. Her husband, Darryl Biel, remembers that day vividly. St. James teacher Lana Chang admitted along with Kreuper to the embezzlement in 2018, following each of their retirements earlier that year. I promised her I would see this through," he says. 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. 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. Kreuper was principal at the school for 28 years. 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 . 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.. German cardinal offers to resign over sexual abuse catastrophe, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. 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. One parent told the outlet of the situation: "It's crazy. All rights reserved. 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. A spokesperson with St. James did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. 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. BroBible is the #1 place on the internet for the very best content from the worlds of sports, culture, gear, high tech, and more. Officials pointed out that Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty as a nun. The Archdiocese appears to have now changed course-with ABC Newsreporting a criminal case may now be in the works following deepening investigations. While claiming to live financially destitute like Jesus Christ is probably blasphemous, using the old Im poor, but my uncle is rich line and getting away with it speaks to Sister Mary Margarets impressive poker face. James School, before tapping the funds for personal use. Of course, at 79, the likelihood that Sister Mary Margaret will see any jail time is relatively slim. 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". 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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.. Officials made the discovery in June after performing a routine audit following Kreupers retirement. 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. However, around the same time, a family at the school asked for an old check they had written to St. James. In a statement to The Washington Post, Kreupers lawyers said she is very remorseful and sorry for any harm she has caused. My actions were in violation of my vows, my commandments, the law and, above all, the sacred trust that so many had placed in me. Rather, he said, she is religiously trained and a commissioned minister of the church. After taking a vow of poverty, her excuse for lavish gambling expenses is hilarious. 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 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. James Convent, not St. (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 . Maryland man, 52, sues bar over ban cause he was old Missouri daughter secretly donates kidney to ailing dad. Along with her sentence, she was ordered to pay $825,338 in restitution. Kreuper admitted embezzling about $835,000 (616,000) in donations, tuition and fee money between 2008 and 2018. Sister Mary Margaret became a nun when she turned 18 in 1960 and took a vow of poverty. The exception extends to religiously affiliated institutions when they fire employees who serve in a religious capacity akin to that of a minister. We do know they had a pattern of going to casinos, and the reality is, they used the account as their personal account, an attorney told parents and alumni at Mondays meeting. In these records you will find the most recent and the most authoritative articles on the topics, people and events that are shaping the . Kreuper pleaded guilty last July. 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. His . As soon as she was confronted, she accepted full responsibility for what she had done and she has cooperated completely with law enforcement and the archdiocese, the statement said, adding that she has been suffering from a mental illness that clouded her judgment. Image Via Scott Varley/Digital First Media/ Torrance Daily Breeze via Getty Images. Parents said the two nuns were big on moral. Her embezzlement activities took place from about 2008-2018. The sisters later confessed to using the funds for themselves. The sisters, described as best friends, both retired earlier this year. In December of that year, fraud allegations emerged against her and another nun, Sister Lana Chang, who had taught at the school. 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 staff members finally found the check, they realized that it was not deposited in a St. James account, but a different bank account. It wasnt until the house of cards came crashing down that she realized what she had done and started to go therapy, where she realized this addiction was a contributing factor. We do know that they had a pattern of going on trips. (Shutterstock) LOS ANGELES, CA The retired principal of a Catholic . She became principal at St. James Catholic School, about 20 miles outside downtown Los Angeles, in 1990. Maybe if she had used her poker face to see more success in Vegas, she wouldnt have been in this position to begin with. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang were seen as two of the strictest nuns at St James Catholic School in Torrance, California. 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. The 79-year-old former nun pleaded guilty to federal charges for stealing more than $800,000 from St. James Catholic School earlier this month. I, for one, absolutely love this move. 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. Kreuper also admitted to falsifying monthly and annual reports to the school administration in an effort to cover up the embezzlement. All rights reserved. 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. Kreuper signed the plea agreement, which Snopes has obtained and which can be read in full here, on June 2, 2021. (deployads = window.deployads || []).push({}); (function() { ", "Just as teaching science out of a fifth-grade textbook doesn't make them scientists, teaching religion for 40 minutes a day out of a workbook doesn't make them ministers," he says. 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. 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. 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. The St. James Catholic Church school in Torrance, California, on February 7, 2022. This was a manifestation of greed, Kumar said, adding that the nun had abused the trust of the community. When the fraudulent behavior first came to light, the order was deeply disappointed and offered to repay the lost funds only believed to be $500,000 at the time. zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true; 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. 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. 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. The Torrancepair used the money for vacations and gambling at the casino while telling parents that the school was on a tight budget. 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". 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. Church officials said they did not wish to press charges against the sisters, who both expressed remorse. Since 2014, The Marshall Project has been curating some of the best criminal justice reporting from around the web. It's just that you have to look and see what kind of function are they doing.". Its an explanation.. 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. We use cookies to better understand website visitors, for advertising, and to offer you a better experience. ", Church says nuns embezzled from SoCal school to cover Vegas gambling tripswww.youtube.com. But when it came to the vow of poverty, the Southern California nun struggled to maintain her promise to the Catholic Church because of a gambling addiction that was out of control for a decade. During the time period this was happening, she had no idea this was happening. 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. The 80-year-old nun pleaded for mercy after stealing $835,339 from an elementary Catholic school to fund her gambling addiction.. The church body in the case commissions teachers as ministers, but does not ordain them. "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. 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.". The account was opened in 1997 but had not been used in years, until Sister Mary Margaret started diverting checks into the forgotten account. The schools denied that Morrissey-Berru and Biel were fired for discriminatory reasons. "She doesn't have anywhere to go," he said. "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. Also implicated in the scheme was Lana Chang, who worked as a teacher at St. James before becoming vice principal. 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). At the heart of this dispute is the First Amendment ban on government establishment of religion and the separation of church and state. She really didnt stay true to it at all, actually. Kreuper was in charge of the schools credit union account, where she was meant to deposit cash and checks from tuition, fees and donations. Trust shouldnt be broken like that., Others, such as Kevin Kearns, whose son had gone to the school, said the nun had put the students and parents above everything else., The church tells us to forgive those who have trespassed against us, Kearns said. Associate Editor at BroBible covering all five major sports and every niche sport imaginable, found primarily in the college space. Officials said Kreuper 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.. By Megan Carpentier. 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. Well, Sister Mary Margaret didnt quite stay true to her vow. The rich uncle was the parents of the St. James students.. 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. The second suit was brought by Kristen Biel against St. James School in Torrance. 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 . 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.". Mary Margaret Kreuper was so close to getting away with it. 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