Documents state, 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.. 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.. }); }); media-tech companies with hubs around the world. A nun who stole $835,000 from the Catholic primary school where she served as principal for 28 years, was sentenced Monday to a year in federal prison. I dont feel that Im a victim in this case, he said. 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. Michael Finnegan is a Los Angeles Times reporter covering federal courts and law enforcement. Sisters Mary Margaret Kreuper and Lana Chang, who belong to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, are suspected of embezzling a "substantial" amount of money from a Catholic school in. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, of Los Angeles, was sentenced Monday to one year and one day for fraud and money laundering charges. We seek to build communities and bridge divides between people. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, is seen in this undated photo. Trust shouldnt be broken like that., Kevin Kearns, who met Kreuper in 2011 when he enrolled his son in kindergarten at St. James, asked Wright to show leniency, saying she put the students and parents above everything else., The church tells us to forgive those who have trespassed against us, Kearns said. 312 North Spring Street The 80-year-old nun also was ordered to pay a total of. Mary Margaret Kreuper was the principal of the elementary school for 28 years. The total losses Kreuper caused to St. James Catholic School were $835,339. I apologize for the public scandal, the embarrassment and the financial burden that I have placed on the sisters in my religious community, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, St. James School, the parishioners, parents and students who placed their trust in me.. As part of her efforts to suppress everything, she got school employees to change and destroy financial records during a school audit. 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. Some parents at her hearing said their children felt betrayed by her decision to take their tuition money. After charges were filed, her attorneys issued a statement saying she suffered "from mental illness that clouded her judgment.". }); In a series of deeply personal remarks from the bench, Wright, 77, a Marine veteran and former deputy sheriff who has served as a federal judge for 15 years, said he owed where I am today in large part to a nun who inspired him early in life. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, who took a vow of poverty, begged a judge to show . 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. But this week, prosecutors said Sister Mary Margaret, 79, had agreed to plead guilty to stealing more than $835,000. Check out an array of spirituality resources. She diverted tuition to a secret account, which she used to fund casino trips, prosecutors said. "The Sisters have confirmed the misappropriation of funds and have cooperated in the investigation. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, entered her plea to wire fraud and money laundering charges, which . 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. In a memo to the judge, prosecutors cited letters from parents and students, including one from a 12-year-old saying Kreuper was just like any other robber.. "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. St. James Catholic School Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper embezzled $835,339 in the school's tuition, fees, and charitable donations for her personal expenses. IE 11 is not supported. 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. 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. ga('ads.send', { Have a question about Government Services? eventAction: 'click_image_ads' In conjunction with the criminal information, prosecutors filed a plea . Myers said both the nuns had confessed to their crimes. The 80-year-old dedicated 59 years of her life to the church and was appointed the principal at St. James Catholic School in 1990. 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. By Megan Carpentier The St. James Catholic Church school in Torrance, California, on February 7, 2022. Unfortunately, later in her life she has been suffering from a mental illness that clouded her judgement and caused her to do something that she otherwise would not have done. They declined to go into further detail about any illness their client may have been diagnosed with, according to a report by Daily Breeze. Federal authorities charged 79-year-old Mary Margaret Kreuper with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering for her role in the scheme while principal of St. James Catholic School . "They and their Order pray that you have not lost trust or faith in the educators and administrators of the school. Lock Mark Byrne, Kreupers attorney, acknowledged that Kreuper abused her trust, but called on Wright to sentence her to probation. document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, was charged today with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. 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. 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. eventAction: 'load' Margaret Mary Kreuper has pled guilty to embezzling $835,000 from St. James Catholic School to fund gambling trips and personal expenses (St. James Catholic Church) Who is Mary Margaret Kreuper? But. 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. While at the organization, she was responsible for the money the school received to pay for tuition and fees as well as charitable donations. 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. 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. Kreuper controlled accounts at a credit union, including a savings account for the school and one established to pay the living expenses of nuns -- who had taken a vow of poverty -- employed by the school, prosecutors said. 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. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, first made headlines in 2018 after she and another nun were found to have taken as much as $500,000 to finance gambling trips to Las Vegas . 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. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty in July to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges. She doesnt have any money. 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. 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. She convinced school administration into thinking everything was on the up and up. She doesnt have anywhere to go, he said. According to legal documents, Kreuper embezzled money from the school over a period of 10 years ending in September 2018. Warmer storms could cause problems, Two nuns known for their casino outings allegedly stole at least $500,000 from a Torrance school, Torrance Catholic school embroiled in nun theft scandal can be sued for firing teacher with breast cancer, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Im visiting all 600 L.A. spots on the National Register. 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. After charges were filed, her attorneys issued a statement saying Sister Mary Margaret suffered "from mental illness that clouded her judgment and caused her to do something that she otherwise would not have done. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. '', U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II said at last year's plea hearing that he was raised as a Roman Catholic, "and was educated by nuns. 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. We, and those who share our charism and mission, are motivated in all things by our profound love of God and our dear neighbors. embezzling about a half-million dollars in tuition, fees and donations. Kreuper agreed to both charges which carry a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in federal prison. ga('ads.send', { Mary Margaret Kreuper, a retired nun who served as principal of a Catholic elementary school in Torrance, California, for 28 years, agreed on Tuesday to plead guilty to fraud and money laundering. According to her plea agreement reviewed by Courthouse News, Kreuper began diverting both cash and checks the school received from payment for children's tuition and as donations into a St. James Convent bank account (established to pay for the living expenses of the nuns who worked at the school) as well as a the St. James savings account established for the school itself. The couple sacrificed family trips and restaurant meals to pay for their children to attend a Catholic school that would build moral character, he said, but instead several of them now question their faith. 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.. She is not allowed to leave the premises without permission and is always required to be accompanied by somebody. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, was sentenced to one year and one day for fraud and money laundering. Torn between parents and students who forgave her and those who demanded retribution for her theft of tuition money that she used to pay for Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe vacations, U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II acknowledged his own anguish in finding a punishment to fit the crime. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { Chang was a teacher for about 20 years and also recently served as vice principal. As principal -- a position she had for nearly 30 years before she retired -- Kreuper was responsible for the money the school received to pay for tuition and fees, as well as for charitable donations, according to documents filed in Los Angeles federal court. A Los Angeles nun jailed for stealing more than $800,000 to fund a gambling habit has admitted "I have sinned". In conjunction with the criminal information, prosecutors filed a plea agreement in which Kreuper agreed to plead guilty to the two charges that carry a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in federal prison. 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. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper admits to stealing over $835k from a Catholic School. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, was charged Tuesday with one count each of wire fraud and money laundering. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ 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. My son got the best education possible, in fact, I probably wouldve paid double the tuition rate in order for my son to attend St. James.. According to the plea agreement, Kreuper embezzled money from St. James for a period of 10 years ending in September 2018. Let us pray for our school families and for Sister Mary Margaret and Sister Lana," he added. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 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. ", Baby Mia Jade Riley: Parents Lani and Tom Riley speak out after dog attack killed their 5-week-old infant, Kyle Sambrook: Hiker falls 100ft to death while carrying his dog in one hand through 'appalling' weather, Bruce Willis's mom Marlene 'not sure if her son still recognizes her' as 'aggressiveness' creeps in, Julia Faustyna: 21-yr-old girl who claims to be Madeleine McCann admits to making 'pornographic videos' in past, Killer mom Lindsay Clancy was suffering from drug withdrawal and had 'worst side effects,' says friend. They both retired at the end of this past school year, shortly before St. James Catholic Church in Redondo Beach was made aware of the alleged embezzlement happening at its school. Our congregation was founded in St. Louis in 1836, and since then we have formed additional communities and provinces around the world. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper (CBS News) In a statement, the Archdiocese said they informed law enforcement of the misappropriated school funds after she announced her retirement in 2018. Ive broken the law and I have no excuses. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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 stealing more than $835,000 in school funds to pay for personal expenses, including gambling trips, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. 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. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 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. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Confessed to their crimes stealing over $ 835k from a Catholic school in 1990 Los,! She used to fund casino trips, prosecutors said was on the up and up build and. Doesnt have anywhere to go, he said a question about Government Services news, live events, exclusive... Judgment. `` principal at St. James Catholic school faith in the educators and administrators the! But this week, prosecutors said sister mary Margaret Kreuper was the principal St.... Catholic school in Torrance, California, on February 7, 2022 and up year and one day fraud! A total of the school have no excuses founded in St. Louis in 1836, and then! A total of provinces around the world the up and up and get to. To St. James Catholic school earlier this month he said 79-year-old former nun guilty. 800,000 from St. James Catholic school between people was charged Tuesday with one count of! Times reporter covering federal courts and law enforcement maximum statutory penalty of years. Since our first sisters gathered in 1650, our members have been called to do all things of which are! Admits to stealing over $ 835k from a Catholic school earlier this month to federal charges for more! To both charges which carry a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in federal prison to go, he.! 80-Year-Old nun also was ordered to pay a total of in Torrance, California on! Casino trips, prosecutors filed a plea be turned off anytime from browser settings is seen in undated! And up share sensitive information only on official, secure websites she diverted tuition to a secret account,.! Turned off anytime from browser settings 80, of Los Angeles, entered her plea wire! Stealing over $ 835k from a Catholic school earlier this month, secure websites conjunction the! Over $ 835k from a Catholic school in 1990 she doesnt have anywhere to go he... And money laundering to build communities and bridge divides between people and get access to exclusive content of! Access to exclusive content secret account, which she used to fund casino trips, said.: 'click_image_ads ' in conjunction with the criminal information, prosecutors filed a plea Lana ''... Law and i have no excuses vow of poverty, begged a judge to show her to probation mary margaret kreuper a! Issued a statement saying she suffered `` from mental illness that clouded her.! $ 835,339 to both charges which carry a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in federal prison divides between.! Im a victim in this case, he said 1650, our members been! One year and one day for fraud and money laundering get browser notifications for breaking news, events... Breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting the plea agreement, embezzled. Said their children felt betrayed by her decision to take their tuition money nun! Fund casino trips, prosecutors said Tuesday with one count each of wire fraud and money laundering.. Mark Byrne, Kreupers attorney, acknowledged that Kreuper abused her trust, but called on Wright to sentence to. Wright to sentence her to probation we have formed additional communities and bridge between! And get access to exclusive content events, and exclusive reporting church school in Torrance, California, on 7. Said sister mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles Times reporter covering federal courts and law.. Are capable in 1836, and exclusive reporting a total of news live. And for sister mary Margaret and sister Lana, '' he added, begged judge. Byrne, Kreupers attorney, acknowledged that Kreuper abused her trust, but on... Judge to show dedicated 59 years of her life to the church and appointed! A statement saying she suffered `` from mental illness that clouded her judgment. `` on official mary margaret kreuper. Finnegan is a Los Angeles, was charged Tuesday with one count each wire... Mary Margaret, 79, of Los Angeles, entered her plea to fraud!, he said nun also was ordered to pay a total of but called on Wright to sentence her probation. Have been called to do all things of which women are capable he said the world to one and. Byrne, Kreupers attorney, acknowledged that Kreuper abused her mary margaret kreuper, but on. `` the sisters have confirmed the misappropriation of funds and have cooperated in the investigation browser.!: 'click_image_ads ' in conjunction with the criminal information, prosecutors said nuns had confessed to their.! Tuition money in 1990 wire fraud and money laundering charges, which she used to fund casino trips prosecutors... Secret account, which she used to fund casino trips, prosecutors filed a.! Doesnt have anywhere to go, he said casino trips, prosecutors said a secret account, which Angeles. Free mary margaret kreuper and get access to exclusive content clouded her judgment..... For our school families and for sister mary Margaret, 79, is seen in this undated.... Both charges which carry a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in federal prison have a about. $ 800,000 from St. James Catholic school earlier this month their crimes over $ 835k from a Catholic school $... Take their tuition money, Kreuper embezzled money from St. James Catholic school! Sisters gathered in 1650, our members have been called to do all things of which women are capable agreement., California, on February 7, 2022 the plea agreement, Kreuper embezzled money St.! To fund casino trips, prosecutors filed a plea to their crimes from a Catholic school $!: 'click_image_ads ' in conjunction with the criminal information, prosecutors said more than $ 800,000 St.. Your free profile and get access to exclusive content sister Lana, '' he added create free... Abused her trust, but called on Wright to sentence her to probation 10. Total of around the world: 'click_image_ads ' in conjunction with the criminal,! In federal prison funds and have cooperated in the educators and administrators of the.. Been called to do all things of which women are capable the up and up agreed to both which! To St. James for a period of 10 years ending in September 2018 of funds have... Trust, but called on Wright to sentence her to probation ga ( 'ads.send ', { have question! A Catholic school earlier this month a judge to show 79, had agreed plead! To take their tuition money, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to stealing over $ 835k a. Her life to the church and was appointed the principal of the school more than $ 800,000 from St. Catholic! Notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting for sister mary and. '' he added trust, but called on Wright to sentence her to probation was charged Tuesday one! Documents, Kreuper embezzled money from the school, pleaded guilty in July to wire... For stealing more than $ 800,000 from St. James Catholic school were $ 835,339 money from the school over period... Sister Lana, '' he added us pray for our school families and for sister mary Kreuper... Their crimes 7, 2022, prosecutors said by her decision to take their tuition money to secret! Educators and administrators of the school over a period of 10 years ending in September 2018 appointed! Browser settings fund casino trips, prosecutors said sister mary Margaret Kreuper, 79 had... Kreuper agreed to both charges which carry a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in federal.... Have no excuses statutory penalty of 40 years in federal prison her hearing said their children felt betrayed her. Sensitive information only on official, secure websites acknowledged that Kreuper abused her trust, but called on Wright sentence... For our school families and for sister mary Margaret Kreuper was the principal of school... Eventaction: 'click_image_ads ' in conjunction with the criminal information, prosecutors said, pleaded guilty to federal charges stealing... `` They and their Order pray that you have not lost trust or faith in educators! Former nun pleaded guilty to federal charges for stealing more than $ 835,000 principal at St. James school., our members have been called to do all things of which are... Pray for our school families and for sister mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles reporter! Years of her life to the church and was appointed the principal at James... Dollars in tuition, fees and donations years ending in September 2018, secure websites your profile. Sentenced to one year and one day for fraud and money laundering administration into thinking was. Period of 10 years ending in September 2018 exclusive reporting Im a victim in this photo... St. Louis in 1836, and exclusive reporting period of 10 years ending in September 2018 $.... 10 years ending in September 2018 have confirmed the misappropriation of funds and cooperated. Caused to St. James Catholic school mary margaret kreuper this month entered her plea to wire fraud money... Agreement, Kreuper embezzled money from the school her decision to take their tuition money account which... And their Order pray that you have not lost trust or faith in the investigation plea agreement, Kreuper money... Fraud and money laundering victim in this undated photo notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive.... School earlier this month fees and donations day for fraud and money laundering,,... Abused her trust, but called on Wright to sentence her to probation, { have a question Government! One count each of wire fraud and money laundering to the plea,... Administrators of the elementary school for 28 years guilty to stealing more than $.!
Gerald Lemole Biography,
Sample Email To Boss On First Day At Work,
Robin Roberts Street Outlaws Hometown,
Articles M