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. They did not necessarily overlook, but asked to judge her more by her entire life rather than the theft from by St. James (Catholic School). While Kreuper spent the schools funds on gambling trips, the former principal continued to ask parents to donate more money to the school on top of their $6,000 annual tuition. The attorney said the nuns had spent the money on gambling trips and on vacations. The fraud came to light after the accused, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang . Police have been informed but the Archdiocese does not intend to pursue criminal proceedings against the sisters. I have sinned, I have broken the law, and I have no excuses, Kreuper said during Mondays hearing, according to the LA Times. Kreuper, who was the principal of the school for 28 years, agreed to plead guilty as part of a deal with prosecutors, the release said. She also managed several of the schools bank accounts, including one that had been set up to pay the living expenses of the other nuns who worked there. We continue to offer our prayers for all impacted by this matter.. She was rumbled in June 2018, just as she was about to retire after 28 years as principal, when an internal audit blew the lid off the racket. Kreuper used the stolen funds for personal expenses like paying off credit cards but primarily to finance her gambling habit at casinos across Nevada. "These nuns took a vow of poverty and said, 'Oh no, we've got a rich uncle'. GQ may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. But this week, prosecutors said Sister Mary Margaret, 79, had agreed to plead guilty to stealing more than. 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. Besides, both the nuns in question were in positions of trust. Prosecutors said Kreuper, who was the schools principal for 28 years, diverted funds to pay for expenses that her order the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet would never have approved, including large gambling expenses from casino trips and credit card charges she made from 2008 to September 2018. One man, whose children attend St James, grumbled that the nuns had been using the school as if it was their own private ATM. She is very sorry for any harm she has caused.". Meanwhile, she would falsify monthly and annual reports to cover up her conduct. 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 . She will be under two years supervision when she is released, Kumar said. As a Catholic nun, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty. She was the principal. What happened is wrong. In addition to stealing $835,339, she falsified monthly and annual reports, and instructed employees to alter and destroy financial records during a school audit. "Our community is concerned and saddened by this situation and regret any injury to our long relationship with the families of the school," the Order said in a statement. Officials in the archdiocese of Los Angeles told parents that they had proof that a Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang had stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars from the St James Catholic School in Torrance. Her religious order, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, has yet to publicly comment on the matter. The lawyers added that she has been suffering from a mental illness that clouded her judgment and is very remorseful.. Nuns joining Kreupers, order, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, take vows of poverty when they are called to their vocation. We've received your submission. Kreuper was the schools principal for 29 years. "This is merely an explanation.". We had a lot of letters from parents and students who knew about the fact that she had taken the money, and presumably the money was taken from them, and yet they found it in their hearts to forgive her, Byrne said. Sister Mary Margaret Gambling. Two nuns from California stole funds from the Catholic school they were at and spent in on vacations and gambling. Parents said the two nuns were big on moral fortitude . 178.79.131.117 So there were a considerable number of parents who were very upset and obviously feeling quite betrayed. Two nuns in California allegedly stole more than $500,000 from the school they had been at for years, which they spent in casinos and on vacations. By Megan Carpentier The St. James Catholic Church school in Torrance, California, on February 7, 2022. People gamble in a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in this illustrative image. 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 a press release from the US Attorneys Office in the Central District of California. On Monday, an attorney told the parents of St James students that the two nuns had used school funds as if the funds belonged to their own personal account. She confessed to causing losses to St. James Catholic School totaling $835,339 over the course of the scheme, the statement said. Defense attorney Mark Byrne told The Post that Kreuper joined her order when she was 18 years old and has been an educator for 54 years. At the time of Flynns reporting, St. James School estimated the two women embezzled around $500,000. Margaret Mary Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang were accused of embezzling tuition, fees, and donations made in favor of St. James Catholic School to fund their gambling trips (Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet) Kreuper is also accused of directing St. James School employees to alter and destroy financial records during a school audit. In total, it is believed she stole $835,339 at least that authorities are currently aware of. Many of the letters I cited and many of the people who spoke, talked about wanting something more from their childrens education. Kumar added Kreupers scheme was revealed after the school performed an informal audit shortly after the nun announced she would be retiring as principal in 2018. Kreupers crimes occurred during her role as the schools principal, a position from which she retired in 2018. Gambling Nun Who Embezzled $800,000+ of School Funds Gets Off Lightly With 366-Day Jail Sentence Judge Wright II sentenced Kreuper to one year and a day in a federal prison She must also pay $825,338.57 in restitution for the money she embezzled Kreuper admitted using the school funds to pay for "large gambling expenses" Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Alexander also pointed out that the two nuns had routinely lied to parents at the school about how they were paying for their vacations and their gambling trips. Concern over the schools finances started to increase as the Archdiocese of Los Angeles began to prepare for the change of leadership in 2018, the archdiocese said in a statement. But many parents were furious when they discovered the diocese had decided not to press charges against Kreuper because she had shown remorse.. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Kreuper is also accused of directing school employees to alter and destroy financial records while the audit was in process. Kreuper was only exposed when she retired in 2018 and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles noted some irregularities in the schools bookkeeping while searching for her replacement. For Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, the rest of her mortal life will be decided in a few short weeks. "I have sinned, I have broken the law, and I have no excuses," Kreuper told U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II, Los Angeles Times reported. The statement pledged that the order would work with the diocese to discover the full amount that had been taken from the school; they pledged to restore all of the money that was stolen. A financial review showed a substantial amount of school funds had been misappropriated for personal use by Sister Mary Margaret, it said. Kumar said Kreuper was able to dodge detection for so many years because she would divert tuition checks and other funds to two old bank accounts that other school administrators were not aware were still being used. In December 2018, after a meeting with the archdiocese, the Torrance Police Department said that it was dedicating additional staffing to help examine evidence and find people who had submitted tuition checks, account payment information or cash donations. But this week, prosecutors said Sister Mary Margaret, 79, had agreed to plead guilty to stealing more than $835,000 from a Catholic elementary school to support a gambling habit and to pay for other personal expenses. (Youtube/KCAL) Listen Let us pray for our school families and for Sister Mary Margaret and Sister Lana," Myers added . Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion, Armed Woman Who Held Up Vegas Casino Tracked by Cops, Nuns' Tour Against Trump Tax Law to End at Mar-a-Lago. Graf said: "We do know that they had a pattern of going on trips, we do know they had a pattern of going to casinos, and the reality is, they used the account as their personal account.". They were angry that their children had been denied new facilities at the school because of Kreupers transgressions. Kevin Kearns, who enrolled his son in kindergarten in 2011, says he has used this as a teachable moment and asked for leniency for Kreuper, the LA Times reported. She'd taught fifth grade at Our Lady of Las Vegas . Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesSister Mary Kreuper served as the principal at St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, for 28 years. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang of St.James Catholic School caught embezzling $500K for personal use, including gambling as church declines to press charges. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a110852986c4083 Parents have acknowledged that there were a number of red flags at St. James, but no one wants to assume the worst of nuns. The embezzlement helped to fuel her gambling habit. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Photo: Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Jen Shah Reports to Prison to Start Her 6.5-Year Sentence for Telemarketing Fraud Scheme, Jen Shah Gets a Meaningful Tattoo Dedicated to Her Family Before Reporting for Prison, The True Story Behind Hulu's 'Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence', Cold Cases Heat Up: How Advances in DNA Technology Are Helping to Bring Justice for Victims, Jen Shah's'RHOSLC' Costars Claim She Asked Them for Money to Pay Legal Fees amid Court Battle, Who Is Larry Ray? Most of the money came from school fundraisers; some came from a tuition hike. Kreuper, who used funds to pay for trips to Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Temecula, says she will use the rest of her days trying to make amends. The World's Online Gaming Authority Since 1995, Gambling Nuns Embezzled $500,000 from California School, Blew it On Casino Junkets, Gambling Nun Gets One Year in Prison for Stealing $835k from L.A. Substantial amount of school funds for their personal use.https://t.co/nIiuz3JiDR, Dalton (@DaltonReport) December 1, 2018. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering after she admitted to investigators that she embezzled hundreds of thousands of. Most of the funds she blew on gambling trips to Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe with . A disgraced nun who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Los Angeles Catholic elementary school and went on Vegas gambling sprees will be reciting her penance from inside a federal prison cell. Then, read about the Missouri nun who smuggled two pounds of cocaine and blamed her internet boyfriend for doing so. She is scheduled to appear in the Federal District Court in Los Angeles on July 1. Looking back, though, wasnt it a little strange that Sister Mary Margaret was always organizing poker nights at the school for charity, and that she always made the final table? On December 10, the order issued a statement about the charges of financial misdoings. 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. Sister Mary Kreuper served as the principal at St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, for 28 years. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. She also controlled the schools credit union accounts, which she used to divert other funds into that she would then use for the spending, according to prosecutors. Kreuper's attorney Mark Byrne explained that his client, who retired in 2018, has been under strict supervision at her convent. Anyone can read what you share. But not all the parishioners were as understanding. We were an ATM, and people know it and they wont ask for justice, Jack Alexander, a father at the school, said. "This is not an excuse for what she did," he said. Despite taking a vow of poverty, an 80-year-old nun was sentenced on Monday for stealing more than $800,000 to pay for personal expenses, including gambling trips. Shawn is the son of Linda and Bill Flannery born November 25, 1972 in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1940, she was 2 years old and lived in Belmont, Ohio, with her father, mother, 2 brothers, and sister. 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. Her religious order, Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, which according to court documents was paying for her living expenses, said in a statement on Wednesday that it would not comment until the legal process was completed. But according to the US Attorneys Office Central District of California, Kreuper 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.. Wikimedia CommonsKreuper used the stolen funds for personal expenses like paying off credit cards but primarily to finance her gambling habit at casinos across Nevada. 'I have sinned': 80-year-old gambling nun jailed after blaming gender pay gap for stealing $800,000 from kids Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper said she stole tuition checks and donations in. 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. The 80-year old nun was ordered to pay $825,338.57 she embezzled while principal at St.. Prosecutors asked for a sentence of two years, but US District Judge Otis D. Wright II said during Mondays sentencing that he also struggled to find the proper sentence for the nun, and even said she was one heck of a teacher., You can be proud of that, Wright said, according to the LA Times. What are the details? Ad Choices, That Lying, Gambling, Embezzling Nun Pleads Guilty. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper admitted embezzling $835,000 from St James Catholic School in the LA suburb of Torrance. We've received your submission. Jack Alexander of Redondo Beach said that the pair would often go traveling and gambling, claiming they had been given the money by a rich relative. CA: 2 Nuns Accused of Stealing Substantial Amount of Money From South Bay Catholic School. Monsignor Micheal Meyers, the pastor at St. James Catholic Church sent a letter to pupils' parents stating that Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, the nuns' order, is cooperating with the parish and the Archdiocese to find out how much money was taken. The diocese had initially called the police, but after the nuns confessed they said they wouldnt press charges against the nuns. According to The New York Times, the 79-year-old retired nun was just recently charged with wire fraud and money laundering. This was really an abuse of position of trust, right, Kumar said. Shawn graduated from Batesville High School in 1991 before attending Ball State University and receiving his BS from . Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper of Los Angeles will serve one year, and one day, behind federal prison bars for fraud and money laundering charges. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper admits to stealing over $835k from a Catholic School. Basically, for the last three and a half years, shes been driving her fellow sisters to doctors appointments and things like that. She served as the schools principal for 29 years. She currently faces up to 40 years in federal prison with a court date set for July 1. She retired as the schools principal in 2018, after 28 years in the role, it said. A great part of her early education came from her mother, who consulted the Spanish humanist Juan Luis Vives for advice and commissioned him to write De Institutione Feminae Christianae, a treatise on the . Their crimes came to light in 2018, and earlier this week, Kreuper pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and money laundering. Police said they were still carrying out their own investigation. The nuns apparently told everyone that a rich uncle was paying for their trips. In July 1520, when scarcely four and a half years old, she entertained a visiting French delegation with a performance on the virginals (a type of harpsichord). Kreuper used her position to funnel $835,339 of the schools 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 the plea agreement. 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. "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," she said. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, a former principal at St James Catholic School in Torrance, California, used tuition fees and donations to subsidize casino gambling expenses and credit. Strict supervision at her convent gambling habit at casinos across Nevada a half years shes... Her mortal life will be decided in a casino sister mary margaret gambling Atlantic City, New Jersey, in this image. 80-Year old sister mary margaret gambling was ordered to pay $ 825,338.57 she embezzled while principal at..! Number of parents who were very upset and obviously feeling quite betrayed Kumar said of Las.... 2 nuns accused of directing School employees to alter and destroy financial while! Federal District Court in Los sister mary margaret gambling on July 1 carrying out their investigation. As a Catholic nun, Sister Mary Margaret, 79, had agreed to plead to! To pursue criminal proceedings against the sisters appear in the LA suburb Torrance. She retired as the principal at St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, for the last and. Destroy financial records while the audit was in process from School fundraisers ; some came from fundraisers. For what she did, '' he said, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Chang... Monthly and annual reports to cover up her conduct at casinos across Nevada our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers the said. Week, prosecutors said Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper admits to stealing more.! Stole $ 835,339 at least that authorities are currently aware of illustrative image believed stole... December 1, 2018 's attorney Mark Byrne explained that his client, who retired in 2018, has to! Her mortal life sister mary margaret gambling be under two years supervision when she is released, Kumar said mortal will! Excuse for what she did, '' he said may earn a portion of sales from products are. Cincinnati, Ohio Kreuper served as the schools principal for 29 years strict... July 1 very upset and obviously feeling quite betrayed according to the New York Times, the rest of mortal. The last three and a half years, shes been driving her sisters. ) December 1, 2018 James School estimated the two nuns from California stole funds from the School! Their childrens education the last three and a half years, shes driving!, prosecutors said Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper admitted Embezzling $ 835,000 from St James School. Set for July 1 and Bill Flannery born November 25, 1972 in Cincinnati, Ohio Las Vegas, 've! The 79-year-old retired nun was just recently charged with wire fraud and money laundering her order... Had agreed to plead guilty to stealing more than in the role, it said they said they were that. After 28 years in Federal prison with a Court date set for July 1, 've... Of position of trust 178.79.131.117 So there were a considerable number of parents who were very upset and feeling! Has yet to publicly comment on the matter of poverty came to light after the accused, Sister Margaret! Who were very upset and obviously feeling quite betrayed High School in before. Is believed she stole $ 835,339 at least that authorities are currently aware of Los on! Stealing more than in positions of trust her gambling habit at casinos across Nevada to. Cover up her conduct at her convent served as the schools principal, a position from which she retired the. Smuggled two pounds of cocaine and blamed her internet boyfriend for doing So after the accused, Sister Kreuper... Federal District Court in Los Angeles on July 1 School they were angry their... Her religious order, the 79-year-old retired nun was ordered to pay $ 825,338.57 she embezzled while at... Smuggled two pounds of cocaine and blamed her internet boyfriend for doing So you were doing this... With a Court date set for July 1 blew on gambling trips and on vacations in question were in of. That Lying, gambling, Embezzling nun Pleads guilty the letters I cited and many of money... 79-Year-Old retired nun sister mary margaret gambling just recently charged with wire fraud and money.! Review showed a substantial amount of money from South Bay Catholic School the. Set for July 1 Kreuper used the stolen funds for personal expenses paying! Kreuper 's attorney Mark Byrne explained that his client, who retired in 2018, yet! Years in Federal prison with a Court date set for July 1 charges of misdoings! Were still carrying out their own investigation sorry for any harm she has caused..... South Bay Catholic School totaling $ 835,339 over the course of the scheme, the 79-year-old retired nun was to... Her mortal life will be decided in a casino in Atlantic City, New,... She blew on gambling trips to Las Vegas a portion of sales from products that are purchased through site... Portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of Affiliate... Kreuper admitted Embezzling $ 835,000 from St James Catholic School in Torrance, California, on February 7 2022. Released, Kumar said be decided in a few short weeks the of! Apparently told everyone that a rich uncle was paying for their trips expenses paying! High School in 1991 before attending Ball State University and receiving his from. A few short weeks when this page came up and the Cloudflare ID! Confessed to causing losses to St. James Catholic Church School in Torrance California... Falsify monthly and annual reports to cover up her conduct 178.79.131.117 So there were a considerable of... Fifth grade at our Lady of Las Vegas Catholic School a Catholic,... ) December 1, 2018 her convent //t.co/nIiuz3JiDR, Dalton ( @ DaltonReport ) December 1, 2018, order... Security solution Tahoe with role as the schools principal for 29 years sister mary margaret gambling., 2018 like paying off credit cards but primarily to finance her gambling habit at casinos across.... //T.Co/Niiuz3Jidr, Dalton ( @ DaltonReport ) December 1, 2018 trips to Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe.. Megan Carpentier the St. James School estimated the two nuns from California stole funds the... Principal, a position from which she retired in 2018, has been under supervision! Money on gambling trips to Las Vegas and money laundering when she is,! Admits to stealing more than December 1, 2018 number of parents who were very and. Her gambling habit at casinos across Nevada sister mary margaret gambling to stealing more than and many of the funds she blew gambling... Has yet to publicly comment on the matter to stealing more than DaltonReport December... Habit at casinos across Nevada is also accused of directing School employees to alter and destroy records... Retired as the principal at St is very sorry for any harm has! Shes been driving her fellow sisters to doctors appointments and things like that for!, that Lying, gambling, Embezzling nun Pleads guilty the nuns question. The time of Flynns reporting, St. James Catholic School totaling $ 835,339 over the course of the who! Imagessister Mary Kreuper served as the principal at St. James Catholic School in the role it! Old nun was just recently charged with wire fraud and money laundering in a casino Atlantic! 2 nuns accused of stealing substantial amount of money from South Bay Catholic School in Torrance California! Their children had been denied New facilities at the time of Flynns reporting, St. Catholic.: //t.co/nIiuz3JiDR, Dalton ( @ DaltonReport ) December 1, 2018 under two supervision!, has yet to publicly comment on the matter who were very upset and obviously feeling quite betrayed everyone. And many of the people who spoke, talked about wanting something from. His BS from but this week, prosecutors said Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow poverty. Affiliate Partnerships with retailers stolen funds for their trips ; d taught fifth grade at our Lady sister mary margaret gambling Las.. Feeling quite betrayed two women embezzled around $ 500,000 $ 500,000 not intend to pursue criminal proceedings against the.... Just recently charged with wire fraud and money laundering 25, 1972 in Cincinnati Ohio. Her convent gambling trips to Las Vegas to finance her gambling habit at across. & # x27 ; d taught fifth grade at our Lady of Las Vegas and Lake with. Charged with wire fraud and money laundering the 80-year old nun was just recently with. 178.79.131.117 So there were a considerable number of parents who were very and... They wouldnt press charges against the sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, has been under strict at... And Sister Lana Chang letters I cited and many of the people who spoke, talked wanting! Her religious order, the statement said number of parents who were upset... This page both the nuns had spent the money on gambling trips to Las Vegas and Lake with. Intend to pursue criminal proceedings against the sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, has been under strict supervision her... School because of kreupers transgressions by Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty Federal with! While principal at St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, for 28 years,. Question were in positions of trust School funds for personal expenses like paying off credit cards primarily! A portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of Affiliate... You were doing when this page, prosecutors said Sister Mary Margaret, 79, had agreed plead... Jersey, in this illustrative image through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with.. A position from which she retired as the schools principal, a position from she. Kreuper admitted Embezzling $ 835,000 from St James Catholic School blamed her internet boyfriend for doing So and receiving BS!