Kreuper signed the plea agreement, which Snopes has obtained and which can be read in full here, on June 2, 2021. 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. Kreuper was 18 years old when she took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, her lawyers told the Post. Is A Hot Dog A Sandwich? Investigators determined the money went to accounts the school didnt know about, Kumar said. 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. He had planned to be in Washington for Monday's argument. 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. Kreuper, who pleaded guilty last summer to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II to pay more than $825,000 in restitution. 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. 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. 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.". She claimed that she was fired after she told her superior, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The Los Angeles native embezzled more than $835,000 from the Catholic school in Torrance, Calif., where she was principal to pay for 10 years of personal expenses, including her many gambling trips to Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe, according to federal prosecutors. 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.". "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.". She just enjoyed gambling, he said. 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. BroBible is the #1 place on the internet for the very best content from the worlds of sports, culture, gear, high tech, and more. Claiming mental illness at her age is a play for probation or the ability to serve her sentence at home. 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. 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". In total, across a period of 10 years, Kreuper siphoned $835,339 from the school's accounts. Kreuper was principal at the school for 28 years. Mary Margaret Kreuper (Image source: KTTV-TV video screenshot). The vow leads a nun to imitate Jesus, who for our sake became poor, although he was rich. When this was going on, she was not nearly as old. She is looking forward to getting on with life and will get treatment for her gambling addiction, he said. Mary Margaret Kreuper was so close to getting away with it. The 80-year-old nun pleaded for mercy after stealing $835,339 from an elementary Catholic school to fund her gambling addiction.. US District Court Judge Otis Wright acknowledged his own anguish in deciding a punishment to fit the crime, saying "I haven't slept well in God knows how long" as he rejected prosecutors' call for a two-year sentence. A spokesperson for the order confirmed for Snopes that, as of June 9, 2021, Kreuper was still a member of the Los Angeles congregation, but the restrictions against her remained in place, and she was no longer involved in any public ministry. 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. 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. She also controlled two savings accounts, one for the school and one for the nuns living expenses. 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. 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. At least, thats where they caught her. These nuns took a vow of poverty and said, oh no, weve got a rich uncle, one parent told the Press-Telegram. Parents said the two nuns were big on moral. The first teacher, Agnes Morrissey-Berru, claimed her employment contract was not renewed after 16 years service because of illegal age discrimination. But the court's eventual decision could reach beyond teachers, affecting the lives of millions of other employees who work for religiously affiliated institutions. As a Catholic nun, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty. Kreuper is due in court on 1 July and faces up to 40 years in federal prison. It is "telling," in these cases, he says, that the "teachers did not even have to be Catholic to have these jobs.". However, around the same time, a family at the school asked for an old check they had written to St. James. The two would skim money off of the top through separate school bank accounts and then head out to Vegas and put it into the casinos. 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). Kreuper was in charge of the schools credit union account, where she was meant to deposit cash and checks from tuition, fees and donations. 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. 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 scheme was uncovered during an audit after Kreuper 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.". His findings unraveled the entire scheme and, eventually, federal charges were levied against Sister Mary Margaret. The two announced their retirement at the same time and were on their way out in 2018. The two holy women were eventually caught out after a recent audit. The second suit was brought by Kristen Biel against St. James School in Torrance. 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. This time the question is whether lay teachers at parochial schools are exempt from the nation's fair employment laws. Sister Lana Chang, a vice principal who was initially implicated in the scheme, was not charged. var zergnet = document.createElement('script'); 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. 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. She really didnt stay true to it at all, actually. 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. Prosecutors say the nun also ordered school employees to alter and destroy financial records during the audit. James Convent, not St. She's obviously not employable.". 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. 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. James School.. 15 Episodes of Seinfeld That Teach Everything You Need To Know About Life. Despite the ongoing thefts, financial statements revealed the church continuing to operate in the black as the two sisters clandestinely plowed through church funds. 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. The St. James Catholic Church school in Torrance, California, on February 7, 2022. Those reports were accurate, and we are issuing a rating of "True.". That was the first clue that unraveled a significant scheme. They and their Order pray that you have not lost trust or faith in the educators and administrators of the school. 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. Make sure you see our stories daily directly to your inbox. 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.. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, who was principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, used the school funds to . By Megan Carpentier. 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.". After much public outcry to pursue legal action, the archdiocese hired a former FBI agent to investigate the two nuns. At the heart of this dispute is the First Amendment ban on government establishment of religion and the separation of church and state. "Far from it. She is expected to report to prison by June, Byrne said, and will be released in 2023. 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. She doesn't have any money. 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". All they needed to do was get through the school year. "I wanted to face them. Mary Margaret Kreuper was so close to getting away with it. Jaclyn Peiser contributed to this report. Let us pray for our school families and for Sister Mary Margaret and Sister Lana, the letter added. Officials pointed out that Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty as a nun. 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. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. We do know that they had a pattern of going on trips. The 80-year-old nun also was ordered to pay a total of. 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. 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 . Officials made the discovery in June after performing a routine audit following Kreupers retirement. G7 summit - Biden brings 1.2m Cadillac The Beast but will it fit down Cornwalls tiny country lanes. She admitted to taking a total of $835,000 in donations from the elementary school, and faces up to 40 years in federal prison. The exception extends to religiously affiliated institutions when they fire employees who serve in a religious capacity akin to that of a minister. 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. But this week, prosecutors said Sister Mary Margaret, 79, had agreed to plead guilty to stealing more than. znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr); If Kreuper has no prior criminal history, under federal sentencing guidelines the sentencing range should be between 41 and 57 months (between around three-and-a-half and five years), though the court will have the final say in her punishment. The scheme was uncovered during an audit after Kreuper retired in 2018. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper admits to stealing over $835k from a Catholic School. Kreuper did not recognize she had a gambling problem until she was accused of embezzling more than $835,000 from the school, Byrne said. Police will still present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office, NBC reported. Kreuper admitted embezzling about $835,000 (616,000) in donations, tuition and fee money between 2008 and 2018. She then used some of the funds to pay for "large gambling expenses incurred at casinos and certain credit card charges.. 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. I promised her I would see this through," he says. "I have sinned," Sister Mary told a US . 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". 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. Mark Byrne, Kreupers attorney, told The Post his client had accepted the judges one-year prison sentence, even if they were pushing for probation. 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. 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. "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 pair said in a joint statement. 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. Pic: St James Catholic School. 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. The schools, "have never asserted that either of [the teachers] fell short in any religious duty or adherence to the faith," he says. By Colin Groundwater June 9, 2021 Two summers ago, Sean Flynn reported a wild story for GQ about two very. The sisters later confessed to using the funds for themselves. A retired nun has admitted to embezzling $835,000 over 10 years from a Catholic school in California to fund her gambling habit, according to federal prosecutors. 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. The school soon had a change of heart following pushback. 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. Kreuper stole the funds over the course of ten years, ending in 2018. 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. Sister Kreuper who took a vow of poverty confessed to using the embezzled funds to pay for personal expenses, including her gambling habit. Maybe if she had used her poker face to see more success in Vegas, she wouldnt have been in this position to begin with. Its an explanation.. Her attorney said Kreuper will be on supervised release for two years once her prison sentence is complete. 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. 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