}); In court papers it was . I got exactly what I paid for. Urgent needs call us to bold conversation and prophetic action. She was sentenced to prison on Monday, February 7, 2022, for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the school funds. 'I have sinned, I've broken the law and I . I was wrong, and I am profoundly sorry for the pain and the suffering that I have caused so many people, she told Wright. As a Catholic nun, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty. 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 . This is not an excuse for what she did, he said. 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 . 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. 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. (213) 894-4465. Prosecutors had recommended a 24-month prison sentence, three years of supervised release, and restitution. Have a question about Government Services? The nun has also been asked to pay a total of $825,338 in restitution to St. James Catholic School. The Torrance Police Department, the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this matter. We seek to build communities and bridge divides between people. At the time of her plea agreement, her attorney, Mark Byrne, suggested another reason in a statement to Courthouse News. 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. 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. 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. Eighty-year-old Mary Margaret Kreuper admitted stealing the money from 2008 to 2018 while she was principal at St. James Catholic School in the LA suburb of Torrance. 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. 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. 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. These also include her gambling trips, revealed federal prosecutors. Now Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, is set to spend a year and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release. 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 . They also urged Wright to keep in mind that her status as a nun helped her evade detection. '', 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. 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. Officials with the archdiocese alleged the nuns spent some of the money on personal trips and gambling, the Press-Telegram reported. He previously covered state and national politics, including the 2020 presidential campaign. Kreuper is also accused of directing St. James employees to alter and destroy financial records during a school audit. However, the nun started diverting the money into secret accounts in 2008 to fund her gambling habits and personal credit card charges. According to the plea agreement, Kreuper embezzled money from St. James for a period of 10 years ending in September 2018. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. In the spring of 2014, Kristen Biel had just been diagnosed with breast cancer and needed time off from her teaching job at St. We also deeply value relationships. "They were just such staunch defenders of moral fortitude, they were really tough on the kids," she said. ", In a statement, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said that: "The community of faith at St. James was shocked and saddened by these actions.". / KCAL News. For 10 years until September 2018, prosecutors say she bilked the facility for money. ga('ads.send', { Mary Margaret Kreuper admitted to taking the money from St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, over a period of 10 years, ending in September 2018. Assistant United States Attorney Poonam G Kumar of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting the case. Prior to her sentencing, the nun had already been placed under several restrictions by the order of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. 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. 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. The revelation came as a rude shock to parents who were led to believe that school was struggling to stay afloat because of a lack of funds. 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 school became aware of the alleged embezzlement in a routine audit when one of the nuns retired as the school's principal. },false) First published on June 8, 2021 / 8:30 PM. } 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. The Sisters of St. Joseph both desire and intend to make complete restitution to St. James School. 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. 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. They and their order pray that you have not lost trust or faith in the educators and administrators of the school. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { As part of her role as the head of the institution, Kreuper oversaw all funds the school received for tuition fees and charitable donations. 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. 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. 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. eventAction: 'click_adunit' 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, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement. Her deadline to show up for incarceration is noon on June 7. 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. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, was also ordered to pay $825,338 in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Our congregation was founded in St. Louis in 1836, and since then we have formed additional communities and provinces around the world. 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. Online prison records do not yet show Kreuper in federal custody. The charges against the 79-year-old were leveled on Tuesday, June 8, and prosecutors at the same time filed a plea agreement. 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. She is very sorry for any harm she has caused.". }); ", 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. He is a priest in the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and a former president of the Canadian Canon Law Society. hitType: 'event', "I don't have to worry about b.s. Kreuper was principal at the school for 29 years. Official websites use .gov As per the plea deal, Kreuper reportedly used the embezzled money to fund her personal expenses, including large gambling bets and vacations to Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Temecula. 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. 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. }); U.S. District Judge Otis D . I dont feel that Im a victim in this case, he said. Sister Mary Margaret, 77, was a pillar of the community who spent 29 years as the principal of St. James Catholic School. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. She doesnt have any money. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! "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. }); eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, was charged today with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. We, and those who share our charism and mission. Kreuper's crimes occurred during her role as the school's principal, a position from which she retired in 2018. Shes 80 years old. Pursuant to her position and title, Kreuper had legitimate control of the schools money for tuition and fees as well as donations. eventAction: 'load' At the prosecutors request, the judge later lowered the amount by $10,000 to account for what she has already repaid. She is very sorry for any harm she has caused.''. The retired principal of a Catholic elementary school in Torrance, who as a nun took a vow of poverty, pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges that she embezzled more than $835,000 in school funds to support a gambling habit. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 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. Ive broken the law and I have no excuses. 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.. . Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, admitted to stealing the money from 2008 to 2018 while she was principal at St. James Catholic School in the LA suburb of Torrance. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. 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. 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. The church was made aware of the scheme around June when it began a routine audit in response to Kreupers retiring. 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 . The 80-year-old nun also was ordered to pay a total of. Let us pray for our school families and for Sister Mary Margaret and Sister Lana," he added. 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. 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. Parent and former school secretaryCheryl Hugo reportedly called Kreupers actions an abuse of power in every possible way.. (CBSLA). The archdiocese did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment. 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 need to send a message that embezzling and betraying is not OK no matter who you are, no matter what your age or circumstance, Rhilinger told the judge. 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. He settled on one year and a day in prison. 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. 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. 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. St. James Catholic School Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper embezzled $835,339 in the school's tuition, fees, and charitable donations for her personal expenses. Shes obviously not employable., Byrne also cited an expert report finding that Kreuper was addicted to gambling. 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". Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper admitted embezzling $835,000 from St James Catholic School in the LA suburb of Torrance. 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