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. These included: "Large gambling expenses incurred at casinos and certain credit card charges.". Here are 10 you cant miss, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, Letters to the Editor: Trumps perfect call to Georgia was wrong. Lock Please logout and login again. ", She also admitted in the plea agreement to falsifying monthly and annual reports to the school's administration to cover up the fraudulent conduct and "lulled 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, in turn, allowed defendant Kreuper to maintain her access and control of the school's finances and accounts and, thus, continue operating the fraudulent scheme.". For 10 years until September 2018, prosecutors say she bilked the facility for money. An official website of the United States government. Assistant United States Attorney Poonam G Kumar of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting the case. Prosecutors had recommended a 24-month prison sentence, three years of. 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Mary Margaret Kreuper was the principal of the elementary school for 28 years. document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ gads_event = event; "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. She pled guilty to the charges in July 2021 and admitted that she embezzled money from the school for over a decade during her tenure. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. But somewhere along the line, you just ran completely off the road, and I think you understand that. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Kreuper agreed to both charges which carry a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in federal prison. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, admitted to stealing the funds while she was principal at St. James Catholic School from 2008 to 2018. eventAction: 'load' 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.. 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. Our congregation was founded in St. Louis in 1836, and since then we have formed additional communities and provinces around the world. Not all of the years appear to have involved alleged financial crimes. 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.. After charges were filed, her attorneys issued a statement saying she suffered "from mental illness that clouded her judgment.". 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. coming from you," he said from the bench when she appeared in court on Thursday. 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. Some parents at her hearing said their children felt betrayed by her decision to take their tuition money. }) 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. }); 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. She doesnt have any money. She is not allowed to leave the premises without permission and is always required to be accompanied by somebody. This is not an excuse for what she did, 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. Most of the funds she blew on gambling trips to Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe with. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper admitted embezzling $835,000 from St James Catholic School in the LA suburb of Torrance. 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. A locked padlock 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. 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. document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ 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. The school became aware of the alleged embezzlement in a routine audit when one of the nuns retired as the school's principal. Poonam Kumar told the judge. Her crime came to light after her retirement was announced in 2018 and the archdiocese began an audit of the school's finances to prepare for its change in leadership. 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. 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. For a period of 10 years ending in September 2018, Kreuper embezzled money from St. James Catholic School. On screen in one of the Zoom windows were five fellow nuns from her order, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. She convinced school administration into thinking everything was on the up and up. . These funds were intended to further the students education, not fund [Kreupers] lifestyle. 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.. 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.". Put simply, anyone who stole over $800,000 from a school would go to prison, your honor, Assistant U.S. Atty. According to authorities, she spent 10 years embezzling money from St. James Catholic School where she served as principal. 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. Wright ordered Kreuper, who took a vow of poverty and whose living expenses are paid for by the order, to pay $835,339 in restitution to St. James. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. 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. At the same time, prosecutors filed a plea agreement in which Kreuper agreed to plead guilty to the two charges, which carry a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in federal prison. Check out an array of spirituality resources. (213) 894-4465. Sisters Mary Margaret Kreuper and Lana Chang, the former a former principal at St. James Catholic School in Torrance, Los Angeles County, confessed to stealing $500,000 from the school to fund . Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Prosecutors had recommended a 24-month prison sentence, three years of supervised release, and restitution. 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. 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. ga('ads.send', { 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. 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.. 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 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. We, and those who share our charism and mission, are motivated in all things by our profound love of God and our dear neighbors. However, her arrangement came to light following a 2018 financial review after her retirement. 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