Put simply, anyone who stole over $800,000 from a school would go to prison, your honor, Assistant U.S. Atty. She further admitted "lulling St. James School and the administration into believing that the school's finances were being properly accounted for and its financial assets properly safeguarded,'' which allowed her to maintain access to the school's finances. Kreuper has paid back $10,000 of what she owes, according to The Long Beach Press-Telegram. I got exactly what I paid for. / KCAL News. Nuns stole over $500,000 from struggling Catholic school to fund trips and gambling habit, FBI recovers over $2M out of $4.4M ransom paid to Colonial Pipeline hackers. We seek to build communities and bridge divides between people. Your login session has expired. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty in July to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges. As part of her role as the head of the institution, Kreuper oversaw all funds the school received for tuition fees and charitable donations. The revelation came as a rude shock to parents who were led to believe that school was struggling to stay afloat because of a lack of funds. eventAction: 'click_adunit' She is very sorry for any harm she has caused.". window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { Over the course of the scheme, Kreuper admitted to causing $825,339 in losses to St. James Catholic School. Kreuper also directed St. James School employees to alter and destroy financial records during a school audit. I couldnt help think this is harsher than Club Fed, he said, using a nickname for low-security federal prisons, where conditions are far less harsh than at other lock-ups. In conjunction with the criminal information, prosecutors filed a plea . Kreuper is also accused of directing St. James employees to alter and destroy financial records during a school audit. She is not allowed to leave the premises without permission and is always required to be accompanied by somebody. While at the organization, she was responsible for the money the school received to pay for tuition and fees as well as charitable donations. Kreuper pleaded guilty in July 2021 to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. In March 2017, for instance, Kreuper deposited $5,700 in checks made out to the school into the convent account and then, in April 2017, wrote a check against the convent account for $6,000, made out to person who deposited the check and gave her the cash, the site reported. The 79-year-old Los Angeles resident was charged Tuesday with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. "Unfortunately, later in her life she has been suffering from mental illness that clouded her judgment and caused her to do something that she otherwise would not have done," read the statement, which was carried by media outlets, "She is very sorry for any harm she has caused. "The Sisters have confirmed the misappropriation of funds and have cooperated in the investigation. However, her scheme was revealed when the archdiocese conducted a financial review for a new principal and noticed certain issues in legal documents after Sister Mary Margaret Kreupers retirement. She doesnt have anywhere to go, he said. LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) Mary Margaret Kreuper, a now-retired nun who was the principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance, has agreed to plead guilty to fraud and money laundering charges for. The school became aware of the alleged embezzlement in a routine audit when one of the nuns retired as the school's principal. Track SoCal rain with LIVE Megadoppler 7000 HD. Chang was a teacher for about 20 years and also recently served as vice principal. Today, we commit to respond boldly to injustice and dare to be prophetic. She pleaded guilty last July to one count . Sister Mary took responsibility for her actions by pleading guilty. Most of the funds she blew on gambling trips to Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe with. Kreuper agreed to both charges which carry a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in federal prison. Prosecutors alleged that she was also responsible for controlling credit union accounts, including a savings account for the school and another account to pay the living expenses of nuns hired by the institution. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. She diverted tuition to a secret account, which she used to fund casino trips, prosecutors said. The lawyers also mentioned that the nun was suffering from a mental illness that clouded her judgment and caused her to do something that she otherwise would not have done. They noted that she was remorseful and very sorry for any harm she has caused., Attorney Kumar also shared that during her confrontation Kreuper mentioned that she embezzled money partly because she believed priests get paid better than nuns.. Suite 1200 Kreuper allegedly held on to some of the checks and deposited them into a separate bank account than the one used by the school. Today, she has been held accountable by the United States criminal justice system. This is not an excuse for what she did, he said. St. James Catholic School Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper embezzled $835,339 in the school's tuition, fees, and charitable donations for her personal expenses. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Now Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, is set to spend a year and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, was charged Tuesday with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, according to the U.S. attorney's office for the Central District of California. 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. attorney's. But it doesnt mean hes a criminal, Rain check! Have a question about Government Services? The 80-year old nun was ordered to pay $825,338.57 she embezzled while principal at St. James in Torrance, CA and spent gambling in Las Vegas. Online prison records do not yet show Kreuper in federal custody. One former student said Kreuper violated her trust and contributed to her decision to leave the Catholic Church. "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 said in a Nov. 28 letter to parents. pg.acq.push(function() { }); Kreuper, who retired in 2018 after 28 years as the schools principal, pleaded guilty in July to wire fraud and money laundering, confessing that she stole tuition checks, spent much of the money on casino outings with friends and tried to cover up the embezzlement. }); Retired nun Mary Margaret Kreuper, admitted to stealing money from St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California. Prosecutors had recommended a 24-month prison sentence, three years of. Kreuper also falsified the school's monthly and yearly financial reports to hide her embezzlement and, when questioned by parents about the school's resources, told them "there was no money for an awning at school and no money for field trips," prosecutors said. She diverted tuition to a secret account, which she used to fund casino trips, prosecutors said. The nun served as the principal of the elementary school for nearly 28 years until her retirement in 2018. Ciaran McEvoy Bannon along with Philip Esformes, 52, a businessman from Florida, who was sentenced for orchestrating a $1B Medicare fraud scheme, spent New Year's Eve as a free man They were part of Trump's long list of pardons and commutations granted to more than 200 convicts in the final days of his presidency. The Los Angeles Times reports Mary Margaret Kreuper, former principal of St. James Catholic School, was facing 40 years in prison but was sentenced to a year and a day on Monday. She pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges, which together carry a total of up to 40 years in federal prison. The two embezzling sisters are Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang. It turns out that at the time Kristen Biel learned she had breast cancer, Kreuper, the school principal who fired her, was embezzling large amounts of money to go on gambling sprees in Las Vegas.. The total losses Kreuper caused to St. James Catholic School were $835,339. The Sisters of St. Joseph both desire and intend to make complete restitution to St. James School. 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. We, and those who share our charism and mission, are motivated in all things by our profound love of God and our dear neighbors. In a letter addressed to parents and parishioners, he wrote, "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. SisterMary Margaret Kreuper, 80, was sentenced on Monday to 12 months and one day in federal prison byU.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II and ordered to pay$825,338 in restitution to theSt. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, according to a press release from theU.S. Attorneys Office in the Central District of California. The nun has also been asked to pay a total of $825,338 in restitution to St. James Catholic School. IE 11 is not supported. Mary Margaret Kreuper, retired nun, pleads guilty to stealing more than $830,000 from St. James Catholic School - The Washington Post This article was published more than 1 year ago Morning Mix. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! She was sentenced to prison on Monday, February 7, 2022, for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the school funds. Prosecutors filed federal wire fraud and money laundering charges against Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, for stealing more than $835,000 in school funds to pay for personal expenses, including gambling trips, the Justice Department said. They also urged Wright to keep in mind that her status as a nun helped her evade detection. } media-tech companies with hubs around the world. "She became a nun when she was 18 years old, and for the next 59 years she dedicated her life to helping others and educating children in Archdiocesan schools," he stated. coming from you," he said from the bench when she appeared in court on Thursday. She is very sorry for any harm she has caused.''. Church monsignor Michael Myers addressed a crowd of a few hundred people saying the archdiocese had launched an investigation into the matter after Kreuper became "very nervous and very anxious" about her financial review and asked for records to be altered. gads_event = event; eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), After charges were filed, her attorneys issued a statement saying she suffered "from mental illness that clouded her judgment.". Kreuper pleaded guilty in July 2021 to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. In court papers it was . pg.acq.push(function() { California nun, 79, to admit to stealing $835K from school funds. Mary Margaret Kreuper had been principal at St. James Catholic School, where Sr. Lana Chang had been a teacher. According to Press-Telegram, the embezzlement scandal also involves Sister Lana Chang who taught eighth-grade students at the elementary school came to light after a routine audit of procedures that were conducted ahead of Kreuper's retirement. ga('ads.send', { According to Meyers, Kreuper and Chang were able to get away with the alleged scheme for years because the school was profitable and the money the sisters took would have ended up in a reserve fund. The charges against the 79-year-old were leveled on Tuesday, June 8, and prosecutors at the same time filed a plea agreement. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, was also ordered to pay $825,338 in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. },false) "They and their Order pray that you have not lost trust or faith in the educators and administrators of the school. pg.acq.push(function() { ", The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet to which the Chang and Kreuper belonged to had released a statement after their scheme came to light in 2018. Kreuper was principal at the school for 29 years. hitType: 'event', Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, admitted stealing $835,000 while principal of an LA-area school. She reportedly claimed, after she was caught by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, that she "used the money to travel, eat out with friends and gamble in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and Temecula," the site reported. A California nun is heading to jail after she admitted to stealing more than $835,000 in funds from a Catholic school to pay off her credit card and gambling debts. By Colin Groundwater June 9, 2021 Two summers ago, Sean Flynn reported a wild story for GQ about two very. ", Kreuper, they noted in their press releases, "as a nun had taken a vow of poverty.". Not all of the years appear to have involved alleged financial crimes. } eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, admitted to stealing the money from 2008 to 2018 while she was principal at St. James Catholic School in the LA suburb of Torrance. A nun has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $835,000 in school funds, which she spent on gambling and other expenses. Kreuper's embezzlement is nothing like what goes in the political circles of the country. He is a priest in the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and a former president of the Canadian Canon Law Society. Until this last spring, Kreuper was the principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance and Chang was its vice . eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Wright also said that as someone who had been educated by nuns, "unlike most cases, this one will be a struggle.". Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, admitted stealing $835,000 while principal of an LA-area school. We, and those who share our charism and mission. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, was charged today with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! ", In a statement, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said that: "The community of faith at St. James was shocked and saddened by these actions.". MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of 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 Lake. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of . These funds were intended to further the students education, not fund [Kreupers] lifestyle. Justice for others and for ourselves is a deep value held by the Sisters of St. Joseph. For three years, Byrne told the judge, the nuns in her order have kept her under severe restrictions at a convent. As part of her efforts to suppress everything, she got school employees to change and destroy financial records during a school audit. When the Archdiocese of Los Angeles first confronted Kreuper about her misconduct, she argued that priests are better paid than nuns, and said she believed she deserved a raise, according to the government. As a Catholic nun, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty. 312 North Spring Street A bookkeeper who knew about the nuns' scheme voluntarily took a leave of absence during the investigation, Michael Meyers, the churchs monsignor, said during the meeting, according to the Press-Telegram. Prosecutors had recommended a 24-month prison sentence, three years of supervised release, and restitution. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, entered her plea to wire fraud and money laundering charges, which together carry a total of up to 40 years in federal prison. At least I hope you do.. Check out an array of spirituality resources. I was wrong, and I am profoundly sorry for the pain and the suffering that I have caused so many people, she told Wright. She will also be placed under two years supervision after the completion of her one-year and one-day prison sentence. As per the plea deal, Kreuper reportedly used the embezzled money to fund her personal expenses, including large gambling bets and vacations to Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Temecula. READ ALSO | 2 nuns accused of embezzling 'substantial' amount from Catholic school in Torrance. At the time of her plea agreement, her attorney, Mark Byrne, suggested another reason in a statement to Courthouse News. Of course, none of her control legitimately extended to using school funds for large gambling expenses incurred at casinos and certain credit card charges, but that is what Kreuper did. }); Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Kreuper acknowledged that for a period of 10 years ending in September 2018, she embezzled $835,339 from St. James Catholic School. She took advantage of her position as principal at the school, where she was responsible for its income, which consisted of tuition fees and charitable donations. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, was charged last month with one count each of wire fraud and money laundering for embezzling the money over the span of 10 years, up until 2018, the . 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 . if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ 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 Lake. "I don't have to worry about b.s. Kreuper 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, according to the US Attorney's Office, California. https://t.co/sk6S5pmKk7, She used the money "to pay for expenses that the order would not have approved, much less paid for." Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper is an 80-year-old nun from Torrance and a former principal of St. James Catholic School. Prosecutors told the judge Kreuper deserved prison time for stealing parents checks to the school over and over and over again for a decade, then ordering staff to destroy records in a coverup. The St. James Catholic Church school in Torrance, California, on February 7, 2022. Kreuper 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, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement. 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