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. A Los Angeles nun jailed for stealing more than $800,000 to fund a gambling habit has admitted "I have sinned". A staff writer for All Thats Interesting, Marco Margaritoff has also published work at outlets including People, VICE, and Complex, covering everything from film to finance to technology. 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. As a Catholic nun, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty. It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Richard D. Stabile. Some of them said they couldnt understand why the school had been operating on shoestring budget while Sister Mary Margaret and Sister Lana had been going on gambling sprees. Parents said the two nuns were big on moral fortitude and that they were very hard on kids who slipped up and broke the rules. She had reportedly worked there for 20 years before both retired in 2018, shortly before their scandal was revealed. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, who worked as the school principal for 28 years, and Sister Lana Chang, confessed to embezzling at least $500,000 from the Catholic school so that they could gamble . All rights reserved. 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. For Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, the rest of her mortal life will be decided in a few short weeks. The two nuns. And I don't look at nuns as ordinary people. A California nun will plead guilty to swindling over $800,000 from the Catholic elementary school she ran to help pay for her gambling trips, federal prosecutors said. However, Sister Kreuper wasnt alone in her scheme. https://t.co/fsUwStYj3J. While investigators found the two gave some of the stolen money back to the school, the rest was used for their "personal gain." What happened is wrong. Officials also say that as they audit started, Sister Mary Margaret started to seem very anxious they say that she even asked people to falsify information for her. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, was also ordered to pay $825,338 in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a110852986c4083 The statement also condemned the embezzlement, saying, we will not defend the actions of our Sisters. Two longtime nuns at St. James Catholic School in Torrance allegedly embezzled as much as $500,000 in tuition, fees and donations. Bobby Kent And The Murder That Inspired The Cult Classic Film "Bully", What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images. 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. CA: 2 Nuns Accused of Stealing Substantial Amount of Money From South Bay Catholic School.Principal, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, and teacher Sister Lana Chang.Substantial amount of school funds for their personal use.https://t.co/nIiuz3JiDR. Kreuper and Chang are both members of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Principal, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, and teacher Sister Lana Chang. On December 10, the order issued a statement about the charges of financial misdoings. She will be under two years supervision when she is released, Kumar said. This snapshot of Mary Margaret Bartock's life was captured by the 1940 U.S. Census. The archdiocese informed authorities of the matter in 2018 when financial reviews during a change in leadership showed a substantial amount of school funds had been misappropriated for personal use by Sister Mary Margaret during her tenure as school principal, church officials said. Two summers ago, Sean Flynn reported a wild story for GQ about two very badly behaved nuns: Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, and Sister Lana Chang, a principal and a teacher at St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California. Officials said the sisters were in charge of collecting checks and depositing them into the schools account. She is very sorry for any harm she has caused.". Kreuper's attorney Mark Byrne explained that his client, who retired in 2018, has been under strict supervision at her convent. The embezzlement helped to fuel her gambling habit. At the time, the church and archdiocese said that they would not press criminal charges against either woman. From award-winning writing and photography to binge-ready videos to electric live events, GQ meets millions of modern men where they live, creating the moments that create conversations. He added that an expert report explained she had a gambling addiction. 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. 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. As it stands, the Los Angeles Archdiocese said it was shocked and saddened.. At OUSC you will find the most trusted sites to play with cash and the best real money games. Its unclear what will happen to Chang, or whether shes even involved in any ongoing investigation. 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.. "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, was sentenced to one year and one day for fraud and money laundering. Your email address will not be published. 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." Kreuper admitted embezzling about $835,000 (616,000) in donations, tuition and fee money between . More on this story First at 10 on Fox. 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. 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. Kreuper stole about $83,000 per year, which is the equivalent of tuition for 14 students, prosecutors argued. Sister Mary Margaret was charged on Tuesday with wire fraud and money laundering while she was the principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance, Calif., the office of the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California said in a statement. 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. According to documents accompanying the plea agreement, Sister Mary Margaret diverted school funds into the schools convent account and its federal credit union savings account, and then used the money for expenses that the order would not have approved, much less paid for, including large gambling expenses at casinos in Nevada and credit card charges. Many of the letters I cited and many of the people who spoke, talked about wanting something more from their childrens education. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper was 47 years old and had been a Catholic educator for more than 19 years when she came to St. James School in 1988. Kreuper is also accused of directing school employees to alter and destroy financial records while the audit was in process. 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. 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The 80-year-old nun also was ordered to pay a total of $825,338.57 in restitution for the money she embezzled while she was a principal at St. James Catholic School in Torrance, Calif. 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. She also admitted to falsifying monthly and annual financial reports, and to telling school employees to alter and destroy financial records during an audit, the prosecutors statement and court documents said. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. 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. '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. Your IP: So shes basically under house arrest, which she accepts.. But somewhere along the line, you just ran completely off the road, and I think you understand that. And wasnt it even weirder that she was going to Vegas all the time? The rest, they were depositing into a separate account and using for their own purposes. She is scheduled to appear in the Federal District Court in Los Angeles on July 1. Kreuper acknowledged that for a period of 10 years ending in September 2018, she embezzled $835,339 from St. James Catholic School. At least I hope you do.. "I've used this to teach my son that we're all human, we all make mistakes, but the power of forgiveness is the most powerful tool that we have. Police have been informed but the Archdiocese does not intend to pursue criminal proceedings against the sisters. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper admitted embezzling $835,000 from St James Catholic School in the LA suburb of Torrance. Substantial amount of school funds for their personal use.https://t.co/nIiuz3JiDR, Dalton (@DaltonReport) December 1, 2018. The rich uncle was the parents of the St. James students," he said. They were angry that their children had been denied new facilities at the school because of Kreupers transgressions. "The Sisters of St. Joseph both desire and intend to make complete restitution to St. James School," the Daily Breeze reported. "This is merely an explanation.". 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Heres what you need to know: An internal investigation found that over several years, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang used funds set aside for St. James Catholic School. The sisters stole a total of $500,000, or half a million dollars, officials said. news, guides, reviews and information since 1995. "Pop Dick Stabile ", as he was known to those who loved . One man, whose children attend St James, grumbled that the nuns had been using the school as if it was their own private ATM. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper admits to stealing over $835k from a Catholic School. Ad Choices, That Lying, Gambling, Embezzling Nun Pleads Guilty. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang were seen as two of the strictest nuns at St James Catholic School in Torrance, California. Nun Stole Over $800,000 to Support Gambling Habit, Prosecutors Say, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/09/us/california-nun-guilty-gambling.html. Instead, the school's principal, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, was stealing the money and using it to bankroll her gambling habit, federal prosecutors said, violating her vow of. Teacher quits union as pro-Palestinian stance left her fee King Charles to evict Harry and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage and give to Andrew, 'Elvis' star Austin Butler was rushed to ER after 'body just started shutting down', Drug-resistant stomach bug spreading across US: 'Serious public health alert', Meghan Markle, Prince Harry have first night out since bombshell Spare released, Jordyn Woods supports Selena Gomez amid singers feud with Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber, RHONJ recap: Jennifer Aydin mocks Rachel Fudas terrible nose job, Heroic bus driver saves student from passing car, Savannah Guthrie Rushed Out Of Today After Testing Positive For COVID-19 During Live Broadcast, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry have first night out since bombshell 'Spare' released. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Sister Lana taught there for 20 years. The 80-year old nun was ordered to pay $825,338.57 she embezzled while principal at St.. People gamble in a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in this illustrative image. Shawn is the son of Linda and Bill Flannery born November 25, 1972 in Cincinnati, Ohio. 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. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, will plead guilty to fraud and money laundering and faces up to 40 years in prison, the U.S. Department of Justice announced. 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. Parents told The Daily Breeze in December 2018 they were not prepared to absolve Kreuper of her sins. She diverted school funds into the St. James Convent Account and the St. James Savings Account, which were used "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," the Department of Justice stated. That order has also paid for Kreupers living expenses for multiple decades. The 80-year-old nun also was ordered to pay a total of. 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.". According to The New York Times, the 79-year-old retired nun was just recently charged with wire fraud and money laundering. Parents have acknowledged that there were a number of red flags at St. James, but no one wants to assume the worst of nuns. She basically was able to keep them secret and the school administration was never the wiser that there were these extra funds that she was taking, Kumar told The Post. But in fact, the sisters were only depositing some of the checks that came in. Bank records show Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang had been embezzling funds from St. James Catholic School in Torrance for at least a decade, the Press-Telegram reported. 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. 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. "This is not an excuse for what she did," he said. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Wasnt it weird that she and her friends won every single raffle. Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesSister Mary Kreuper served as the principal at St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, for 28 years. 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. She confessed to causing losses to St. James Catholic School totaling $835,339 over the course of the scheme, the statement said. She was the principal. An 80-year-old nun who gambled away more than $835,000 in school funds was sentenced to twelve months and a day in federal prison Monday, according to a press release from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). Ultimately Kreuper admitted to stealing over $835,000. Basically, for the last three and a half years, shes been driving her fellow sisters to doctors appointments and things like that. Sisters of St. Joseph of CarondeletSister Lana Chang worked alongside Sister Kreuper for 20 years, at least 10 of which they spent embezzling the schools money together. For a period of 10 years starting in 2008, Kreuper embezzled money from St. James Catholic School where she was the school's principal, a position she held for 28 years.