I havent slept well in God knows how long, Wright told a Zoom hearing audience, rejecting prosecutors call for a two-year term and saying he could not bring himself to judge Kreuper solely on the worst thing that shes done in her life.. Following Mondays hearing Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper was released under her own recognizance and is required to turn herself in to the Federal Bureau of Prisons by June 7, 2022. Her deadline to show up for incarceration is noon on June 7. Church officials previously said they did not want to press criminal charges against the nuns. Mark Byrne, Kreupers attorney, acknowledged that Kreuper abused her trust, but called on Wright to sentence her to probation. According to The New York Post, for the past three and a half years, Kreuper has been under house arrest. During the latest hearing, Mary Margaret Kreuper confessed to her crimes and admitted her wrongdoings: The nun also said that she lulled St. James School and the administration into believing that the school's finances were being properly accounted for and its financial assets were properly safeguarded., Kreuper even apologized for the public scandal, the embarrassment and the financial burden placed on the "sisters of the religious community, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, St. James School, the parishioners, parents and students.". "I don't have to worry about b.s. (CBSLA). Kreuper is also accused of directing St. James School employees to alter and destroy financial records during a school audit. The total losses Kreuper caused to St. James Catholic School were $835,339. The nun served as the principal of the elementary school for nearly 28 years until her retirement in 2018. Despite her nun's vow of poverty . They and their order pray that you have not lost trust or faith in the educators and administrators of the school. But. However, her arrangement came to light following a 2018 financial review after her retirement. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The Sisters of St. Joseph both desire and intend to make complete restitution to St. James School. 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. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. We are a congregation of Catholic sisters tracing our origins to France in 1650, who strive to share the great love of God with our dear neighbors today. A Los Angeles nun and school principal who stole more than $800,000 to pay for a gambling habit was sentenced Monday to a year in federal prison. hitType: 'event', Though the statutory maximum on those two charges was 40 years, prosecutors asked that she serve two, according to Courthouse News, and the judge in the case sentenced the senior citizen to just 12 months. We, and those who share our charism and mission, are motivated in all things by our profound love of God and our dear neighbors. "Unfortunately . Or to keep it anonymous, click here. pg.acq.push(function() { Kreuper has paid back $10,000 of what she owes, according to The Long Beach Press-Telegram. Author of the article: 'I have sinned, I've broken the law and I . TORRANCE, Calif. (CNS) -- The retired principal of a Catholic elementary school in Torrance who embezzled more than $835,000 in school funds to support a gambling habit was sentenced to one year and a day in prison on Monday. Central District of California (Los Angeles) The stolen money could have covered a decade of tuition for 14 students at a school that lacked money for field trips or new books and classroom supplies, prosecutors said. }); The embezzlement helped to fuel her gambling habit. Prosecutors had recommended a 24-month prison sentence, three years of. let gads_event; if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ 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. The charges carry up to 40 years . Chang and Kreuper's scheme was exposed after an internal auditor confirmed the church's suspicions. document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ But Phil Rhilinger, who with his wife, Debby, sent five kids to St. James, called on Wright to impose the maximum sentence up to 20 years for each of the two crimes. An indictment was unsealed today charging Terren S. Peizer, the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ontrak Inc., a Henderson, Nevada-based publicly traded health care company, for A Carson man who was a central figure in an international fraud and money-laundering network that targeted $25 million through a variety of frauds including romance scams and elder A former executive at cinema subscription service MoviePass Inc. has been arrested on a federal grand jury indictment alleging he embezzled approximately $260,000 from MoviePass parent company to repay money Central District of California Our community is deeply saddened by the pain and difficulty Sister Marys actions have caused for the parents, administration, staff and students of St. James School in Redondo Beach, California and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. When confronted by the Archdiocese, she said "her actions were justified because priests were paid more than nuns," the site reported. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { He settled on one year and a day in prison. According to authorities, she spent 10 years embezzling money from St. James Catholic School where she served as principal. ga('ads.send', { Kreuper, as a nun, had taken a vow of poverty and diverted school funds into the St. James Convent Account and the St. James Savings Account. 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. Kreuper had pleaded guilty in July to one count each of wire fraud and money laundering. She will appear for an arraignment at the United States District Court on July 1. [emailprotected]. These funds were intended to further the students education, not fund [Kreupers] lifestyle. Retired nun Mary Margaret Kreuper, admitted to stealing money from St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California. Kreuper, who had taken a vow of poverty, admitted in the plea agreement to diverting school funds into the St. James Convent account and the St. James savings account and then using the diverted funds "to pay for expenses that the order would not have approved, much less paid for, including large gambling expenses incurred at casinos and certain credit card charges. } 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. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, agreed last month to plead guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. In their letters [to the court], several students and parents commented on how the school was lacking in resourcesAnother parent discussed [in a letter to the court] how [Kreuper] said there was no money for an awning at school and no money for field trips.. Viveca Tokatlian, whose son is now a senior at the University of San Diego and was once student in Chang's eighth-grade class, said she was shocked and disappointed by the news. Julija Garunkstis, who attended the small school of three stucco and red-brick buildings from 2005 to 2014, told the judge about the fear that Kreuper instilled in children when they misbehaved. 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. 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 . Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. These also include her gambling trips, revealed federal prosecutors. 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. 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. },false) ", In a statement, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said that: "The community of faith at St. James was shocked and saddened by these actions.". 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 a mental illness that clouded her judgment and caused her to do something that she otherwise would not have done. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of the Arlington Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles, was sentenced by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II, who also ordered her to pay $825,338 in restitution. Urgent needs call us to bold conversation and prophetic action. The nun admitted to her crimes shortly after she was indicted. An 80-year-old nun who admitted stealing $835,000 from a Torrance elementary school asked a federal judge on Monday to show mercy and spare her from prison. (213) 894-4465. 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 . She pleaded guilty toone count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering in July 2021, according to prosecutors, as part of a plea deal. According to the plea agreement, Kreuper embezzled money from St. James for a period of 10 years ending in September 2018. eventAction: 'click_adunit' As principal a position she held for 28 years Kreuper was responsible for the money the school received to pay for tuition and fees, as well as for charitable donations. Earlier in January this year, former president Donald Trump pardoned Steve Bannon who was facing a federal case when he was charged with defrauding donors of more than a million dollars as part of a fundraising campaign to build the US-Mexico border wall. 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 . After charges were filed, her attorneys issued a statement saying she suffered "from mental illness that clouded her judgment.". U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II said that Kreuper was one heck of a teacher but she ran completely off the road in her life. Prior to her sentencing, the nun had already been placed under several restrictions by the order of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. As soon as she was confronted, she accepted full responsibility for what she had done and she has cooperated fully with law enforcement and the Archdiocese. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. She also controlled accounts at a credit union, including a savings account for the school and one used to pay for the living expenses of the nuns employed by the school. U.S. District Judge Otis D . Lock Since our first sisters gathered in 1650, our members have been called to do all things of which women are capable. Today, we commit to respond boldly to injustice and dare to be prophetic. In conjunction with the criminal information, prosecutors filed a plea . ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! At about $83,000 a year, the amount matches the tuition of 14 students a year, prosecutors said. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering in July 2021 and has agreed to a plea deal for allegedly embezzling $835,000 while she was. Since our first sisters gathered in 1650, our members have been called to do all things of which women are capable. The first sisters of our congregation arrived in St. Louis, Missouri in 1836, and we now have additional locations in St. Paul, Albany, Los Angeles, Hawaii, Japan and Peru. She diverted tuition to a secret account, which she used to fund casino trips, prosecutors said. By Megan Carpentier The St. James Catholic Church school in Torrance, California, on February 7, 2022. I was wrong and Im profoundly sorry for the pain and suffering Ive caused so many people.. Prosecutors also said that Kreuper directed St. James School staff to alter and destroy financial records during an audit, and caused total losses of $835,339. Today, we commit to respond boldly to injustice and dare to be prophetic. She must also pay $825,338 in restitution, covering most of the losses of $835,339 from St. James Catholic School in the Arlington Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. 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. Kreuper was sentenced to one year in prison Monday and told to pay back the money. Diverting embezzled funds into secret accounts, Kreuper used the money "to pay for expenses that the order would not have approved, much less paid for,'' including large gambling expenses and trips to Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Temecula, according to her plea agreement. As part of her efforts to suppress everything, she got school employees to change and destroy financial records during a school audit. 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. Kreuper's embezzlement is nothing like what goes in the political circles of the country. },false) Explore the variety of ways to be a part of our community. "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 two embezzling sisters are Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang. Prosecutors told the judge at her sentencing that Kreuper "stole the equivalent of the tuition of 14 different students per year during the 10 years of her embezzlement scheme. Bank records show Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang had been embezzling funds from St. James Catholic School in Torrance for at least a decade, the Press-Telegram reported. By Colin Groundwater June 9, 2021 Two summers ago, Sean Flynn reported a wild story for GQ about two very. She is very sorry for any harm she has caused.''. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Sister Mary Margaret, 77, was a pillar of the community who spent 29 years as the principal of St. James Catholic School. Kreuper 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, according to court documents. Defense attorneys said Kreuper became a nun when she was 18 years old, and for the next 59 years "dedicated her life to helping others and educating children in Archdiocesan schools. Wright also said that as someone who had been educated by nuns, "unlike most cases, this one will be a struggle.". Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, of Los Angeles, was sentenced Monday to one year and one day for fraud and money laundering charges. Have a tip or story idea? eventAction: 'click_image_ads' The Torrance Police Department, the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this matter. Online prison records do not yet show Kreuper in federal custody. hitType: 'event', She was the principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance for 28 years. At least I hope you do.. Kreuper promised to follow more closely in Christs footsteps and spend the rest of her life trying to make amends. We, and those who share our charism and mission, are motivated in all things by our profound love of God and our dear neighbors. We pray that in time those impacted will find healing and the seeds of forgiveness. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty 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 . ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Have a tip we should know? Have a question about Government Services? Shes obviously not employable., Byrne also cited an expert report finding that Kreuper was addicted to gambling. 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. Wright told Kreuper shed been one heck of a teacher during her 62 years as a nun. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), pg.acq.push(function() { The judge said he was grappling with the possibility that conditions at the convent might be worse than prison. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Yosemite breaks decades-old snowfall record, closing national park indefinitely, San Diego federal judge had defendants 13-year-old daughter handcuffed. ", Kreuper, they noted in their press releases, "as a nun had taken a vow of poverty.". Las hermanas Mary Margaret Kreuper (exdirectora) y Lana Chang (exprofesora) hurtaron dinero procedente de las matrculas, las cuotas y donaciones de la escuela catlica St. James de Torrance 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. In the plea agreement, she admitted to having used the diverted funds to pay for expenses that the order would not have approved, much less paid for, including large gambling expenses incurred at casinos and certain credit card charges. Kreuper also admitted that she falsified monthly and annual reports to the school administration to cover up her fraudulent conduct. Copyright 2023 by City News Service, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Meyers said during the meeting that around that same time a family who gave money to the school requested a copy of the check, and staff noticed that the check had been deposited into an account not associated with the school. She pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges, which together carry a total of up to 40 years in federal prison. I have sinned, I have broken the law, and I have no excuses, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, the former principal of St. James Catholic School, told the judge. 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. "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. 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. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. News, live events, and exclusive reporting prosecutors had recommended a 24-month prison sentence, three of..., false ) Explore the variety of ways to be prophetic they in!. `` nearly 28 years until her retirement in 2018 Byrne also cited an expert report that... New York Post, for the pain and suffering Ive caused so many people noted! A statement saying she suffered `` from mental illness that clouded her.... 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