California nun, 79, to admit to stealing $835K from school funds. Public Information Officer Mark Byrne, Kreupers attorney, acknowledged that Kreuper abused her trust, but called on Wright to sentence her to probation. Two Catholic school nuns accused of embezzling about a half-million dollars in tuition, fees and donations from a school allegedly used some of the money to gamble in Las Vegas, according to officials cited in a news report. JudgeOtis D. Wright II, however, said that the majority of letters to the court from people like coworkers, church leaders, parents, and former students pushed for a lighter sentence. 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. At about $83,000 a year, the amount matches the tuition of 14 students a year, prosecutors said. At least I hope you do.. According to the plea agreement, Kreuper embezzled money from St. James for a period of 10 years ending in September 2018. READ ALSO | 2 nuns accused of embezzling 'substantial' amount from Catholic school in Torrance. 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. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Kreuper, who as a nun had taken a vow of poverty, diverted school funds into the St. James Convent Account and the St. James Savings Account and then 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, according to court documents. Suite 1200 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.. One former student said Kreuper violated her trust and contributed to her decision to leave the Catholic Church. 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.. "They and their Order pray that you have not lost trust or faith in the educators and administrators of the school. Wright told Kreuper shed been one heck of a teacher during her 62 years as a nun. She is very sorry for any harm she has caused.''. Central District of California (Los Angeles) Kreuper had pleaded guilty in July to one count each of wire fraud and money laundering. Kreuper was principal at the school for 29 years. June 8, 2021 / 8:30 PM 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. She will appear for an arraignment at the United States District Court on July 1. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper was sentenced to a year in prison after she admitted to stealing more than $835,000 from a Southern California school to fund her gambling addiction. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper was just 18 years old when she took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. These also include her gambling trips, revealed federal prosecutors. "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. He previously covered state and national politics, including the 2020 presidential campaign. 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. The Sisters of St. Joseph both desire and intend to make complete restitution to St. James School. As far as parent Kevin Kearnswas concerned, there were no hard feelings about the embezzlement. 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 the crowd at the meeting. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS "We. By Colin Groundwater June 9, 2021 Two summers ago, Sean Flynn reported a wild story for GQ about two very. 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. 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. Officials with the archdiocese alleged the nuns spent some of the money on personal trips and gambling, the Press-Telegram reported. In court papers it was . Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, was charged today with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. 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 fraud for embezzling nearly $835,000 from school funds. A. Most of the funds she blew on gambling trips to Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe with. 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. 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. ", 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. 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('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); was part of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet order, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. 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". At the prosecutors request, the judge later lowered the amount by $10,000 to account for what she has already repaid. 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.. Let us pray for our school families and for Sister Mary Margaret and Sister Lana," he added. A lock ( 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. According to authorities, she spent 10 years embezzling money from St. James Catholic School where she served as principal. A Los Angeles nun jailed for stealing more than $800,000 to fund a gambling habit has admitted "I have sinned". 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.. 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. 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. A media statement issued last month by her attorneys, Mark A. Byrne and Daniel V. Nixon, said that Sister Mary Margaret had been "very remorseful" and had accepted full responsibility for what she had done. As the school's principal, she was responsible for managing money received by the. ga('ads.send', { The Torrance Police Department, the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this matter. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. However, the nun started diverting the money into secret accounts in 2008 to fund her gambling habits and personal credit card charges. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. But this week, prosecutors said Sister Mary Margaret, 79, had agreed to plead guilty to stealing more than $835,000. Sister Mary took responsibility for her actions by pleading guilty. ga('ads.send', { Kreuper pleaded guilty in July 2021 to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Prosecutors had recommended a 24-month prison sentence, three years of supervised release, and restitution. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet are a congregation of Catholic sisters. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' However, her arrangement came to light following a 2018 financial review after her retirement. Explore the variety of ways to be a part of our community. 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 . 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. 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. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, was also ordered to pay $825,338 in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Mary Margaret Kreuper was so close to getting away with it. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), }); let gads_event; The embezzlement helped to fuel her gambling habit. '', 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. A retired nun accused of gambling with the funds of a Torrance Catholic school where she worked as the principal faces federal prison time after pleading gui. Not all of the years appear to have involved alleged financial crimes. 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. Wright also said that as someone who had been educated by nuns, "unlike most cases, this one will be a struggle.". 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.. Shes obviously not employable., Byrne also cited an expert report finding that Kreuper was addicted to gambling. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ The judge said he was grappling with the possibility that conditions at the convent might be worse than prison. 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. 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. Officials said Kreuper and Chang used a large portion of the stolen funds for "personal gains" and "recycled" some of it back into the school, the Press-Telegram reported. Despite her vow of poverty, a California nun embezzled funds from the Roman Catholic school she ran in order to fund her gambling habit, according to federal prosecutors. 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. And I don't look at nuns as ordinary people. 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 . Now hes under review, Blizzard conditions close major highways and roads in Lake Tahoe area, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Yet more rain expected to hit California in March. }) She was the principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance for 28 years. eventAction: 'load' Kreuper was part of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet order, which Newsweek has contacted for comment. 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. IE 11 is not supported. 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. 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. ga('ads.send', { 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 July, she pleaded guilty to one count each of. 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 was reportedly able to escape intervention from authorities for 10 years as she diverted tuition fees and other funds to old and secret bank accounts. "They were just such staunch defenders of moral fortitude, they were really tough on the kids," she said. A nun is pictured at Vatican's Gregorian University. "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. Kreuper has paid back $10,000 of what she owes, according to The Long Beach Press-Telegram. Ive broken the law and I have no excuses. 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. }); Mary Margaret Kreuper, of Los Angeles, was the principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance for 28 years. According to The New York Post, for the past three and a half years, Kreuper has been under house arrest. 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 diverted tuition to a secret account, which she used to fund casino trips, prosecutors said. LOS ANGELES A nun who was the principal of a Catholic elementary school in Torrance was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in federal prison for stealing more than $835,000 in school funds to pay for personal expenses, including gambling trips. 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. "I don't have to worry about b.s. hitType: 'event', They also urged Wright to keep in mind that her status as a nun helped her evade detection. Mary Margaret Kreuper was the principal of the elementary school for 28 years. After charges were filed, her attorneys issued a statement saying she suffered "from mental illness that clouded her judgment.". 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. She was sentenced to prison on Monday, February 7, 2022, for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the school funds. Be the first one to comment on this story. 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. }); 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. We are one of the worlds fastest growing The nun admitted to her crimes shortly after she was indicted. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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. (Youtube/KCAL) Kreuper promised to follow more closely in Christs footsteps and spend the rest of her life trying to make amends. 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. 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. 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. I was wrong, and I am profoundly sorry for the pain and the suffering that I have caused so many people, she told Wright. Michael Finnegan is a Los Angeles Times reporter covering federal courts and law enforcement. It said the parish, school and the Archdiocese: "Reported the matter and fully cooperated with authorities in the criminal investigation," adding: "We continue to offer our prayers for all impacted by this matter," CBS 9 reported. 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 was the principal of the elementary school for 28 years. Prosecutors had recommended a 24-month prison sentence, three years of. 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Federal charges for stealing more than $ 835,000 these also include her gambling trips to Vegas.

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