She said that she falsified monthly and annual reports to cover up her actions to assure the school's administration that its financial assets were in safe hands. Myers said both the nuns had confessed to their crimes. 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St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California. Assistant US Attorney Poonam Kumar told The New York Post that Kreuper even asked parents to donate more money in addition to their $6,000 annual fees. Kreuper had recently retired, which automatically triggered an audit that found irregularities, . Wright also said that as someone who had been educated by nuns, "unlike most cases, this one will be a struggle.". 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. 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. Mary Margaret Kreuper had been principal at St. James Catholic School, where Sr. Lana Chang had been a teacher. (213) 894-4465. As a Catholic nun, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty. An elderly nun who pleaded guilty to embezzling from a Catholic school to fund her own gambling trips has been sentenced to a year in federal prison. Pursuant to her position and title, Kreuper had legitimate control of the schools money for tuition and fees as well as donations. Author of the article: Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Kreuper pleaded guilty in July 2021 to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. },false) 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. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, entered her plea to wire fraud and money laundering charges, which . 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. 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.. },false) 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". 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. These funds were intended to further the students education, not fund [Kreupers] lifestyle. The charges carry up to 40 years . eventAction: 'view' https://t.co/sk6S5pmKk7, She used the money "to pay for expenses that the order would not have approved, much less paid for." Kreuper, who retired in 2018 after 28 years as the schools principal, pleaded guilty in July to wire fraud and money laundering, confessing that she stole tuition checks, spent much of the money on casino outings with friends and tried to cover up the embezzlement. }); LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Mary Margaret Kreuper, a now-retired nun and a Los Angeles resident was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering on Tuesday, June 8. On screen in one of the Zoom windows were five fellow nuns from her order, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Mary Margaret Kreuper, retired nun, pleads guilty to stealing more than $830,000 from St. James Catholic School - The Washington Post This article was published more than 1 year ago Morning Mix. She diverted tuition to a secret account, which she used to fund casino trips, prosecutors said. Kreuper was principal at the school for 29 years. By Megan Carpentier The St. James Catholic Church school in Torrance, California, on February 7, 2022. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Public Information Officer Official websites use .gov Mary Margaret Kreuper was the principal of the elementary school for 28 years. He previously covered state and national politics, including the 2020 presidential campaign. This is not an excuse for what she did, he said. Have a tip we should know? The charges against the 79-year-old were leveled on Tuesday, June 8, and prosecutors at the same time filed a plea agreement. 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. A lock ( 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 . Poonam Kumar told the judge. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { 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.. The 80-year-old nun also was ordered to pay a total of. Be the first one to comment on this story. 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. One former student said Kreuper violated her trust and contributed to her decision to leave the Catholic Church. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ 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. if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, was sentenced to one year and one day for fraud and money laundering. Explore the variety of ways to be a part of our community. 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. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. 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 Tahoe. 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. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { These included: "Large gambling expenses incurred at casinos and certain credit card charges.". hitType: 'event', 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. We seek to build communities and bridge divides between people. 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. Kreuper, who was principal at the elementary school for 28 years, was responsible for the money the school received to pay for tuition and fees as well as charitable donations. }); Prosecutors had recommended a 24-month prison sentence, three years of. 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. Auditors at the meeting said that checks made out to the school for tuition and other fees first went to Kreuper before being handed over to the bookkeeping staff. Despite her nun's vow of poverty . window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { She will appear for an arraignment at the United States District Court on July 1. '', Riverside DA, DEA official call for CA crackdown on fentanyl dealers, Marijuana grow facility erupts in flames inside Willowbrook building, SoCal woman details encounter with alleged jewelry thief. 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, 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. 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. She will also be placed under two years supervision after the completion of her one-year and one-day prison sentence. Her plea agreement from June 8 with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said the 79-year-old had diverted funds into the St. James Convent Account and the St. James Savings Account. Mary Margaret Kreuper was so close to getting away with it. When the Archdiocese of Los Angeles first confronted Kreuper about her misconduct, she argued that priests are better paid than nuns, and said she believed she deserved a raise, according to the government. 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. Ciaran McEvoy coming from you," he said from the bench when she appeared in court on Thursday. The embezzlement helped to fuel her gambling habit. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper is an 80-year-old nun from Torrance and a former principal of St. James Catholic School. }); Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Arlington Heights in Los Angeles, was also ordered to pay $825,338 in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.. Online prison records do not yet show Kreuper in federal custody. The 80-year old nun was ordered to pay $825,338.57 she embezzled while principal at St. James in Torrance, CA and spent gambling in Las Vegas. She doesnt have anywhere to go, he said. The religious order Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, of which Sr. Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sr. Lana Chang are members, has agreed to a "full restitution" of money used for personal matters by the two women, the letter said. 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Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, will plead guilty on July 22 to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. pg.acq.push(function() { Kevin de Len just postponed Wakanda Forever screening after uproar, I-5 closed through Grapevine as last wave of winter storm hits Southern California, Dictators and criminals fear this USC instructor whos making the case for an Oscar, Photos: Mountain communities buried in snow | More on the way, Prosecutor in controversial Hannah Tubbs case suspended for misgendering defendant, Environmentalists sue to overturn San Diego County climate plan. United States Attorneys Office She pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges, which together carry a total of up to 40 years in federal prison. On Monday night, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles told parents and alumni at a meeting that Sisters Mary Margaret Kreuper and Lana Chang, described as best friends, took around $500,000 from St. James Catholic School in Torrance, according to an audio recording of the meeting obtained by the Press-Telegram. At about $83,000 a year, the amount matches the tuition of 14 students a year, prosecutors said. document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ At the time of her plea agreement, her attorney, Mark Byrne, suggested another reason in a statement to Courthouse News. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { We seek to build communities and bridge divides between people. . Church officials previously said they did not want to press criminal charges against the nuns. Kreuper controlled accounts at a credit union, including a savings account for the school and one established to pay the . And I don't look at nuns as ordinary people. 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. Kreuper had pleaded guilty in July to one count each of wire fraud and money laundering. Trust shouldnt be broken like that., Kevin Kearns, who met Kreuper in 2011 when he enrolled his son in kindergarten at St. James, asked Wright to show leniency, saying she put the students and parents above everything else., The church tells us to forgive those who have trespassed against us, Kearns said. hitType: 'event', Kreuper falsified monthly and annual reports to the school administration to cover up her fraudulent conduct and 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, according to court documents. 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. Urgent needs call us to bold conversation and prophetic action. In July, she pleaded guilty to one count each of. 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. But somewhere along the line, you just ran completely off the road, and I think you understand that. 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. We do know that they had a pattern of going on trips. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. 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. "The Sisters have confirmed the misappropriation of funds and have cooperated in the investigation. 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 . Track SoCal rain with LIVE Megadoppler 7000 HD. She pleaded guilty last July to one count . ", 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. 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