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. 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. MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. } Mary Margaret Kreuper, a retired nun who served as principal of a Catholic elementary school in Torrance, California, for 28 years, agreed on Tuesday to plead guilty to fraud and money laundering. }); Nuns stole over $500,000 from struggling Catholic school to fund trips and gambling habit, FBI recovers over $2M out of $4.4M ransom paid to Colonial Pipeline hackers. Shes obviously not employable., Byrne also cited an expert report finding that Kreuper was addicted to gambling. In court papers it was . was part of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet order, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. 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.". 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. 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. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, who took a vow of poverty, begged a judge to show . Mary Margaret Kreuper had been principal at St. James Catholic School, where Sr. Lana Chang had been a teacher. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty in July to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, admitted stealing $835,000 while principal of an LA-area school. 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. She was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison in addition to . 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. She has agreed to plead guilty to the charges for embezzling more than $835,000 from the funds of St. James Catholic School where she served as principal a couple of years ago, to pay for her personal expenses. "I don't have to worry about b.s. Prosecutors told the judge Kreuper deserved prison time for stealing parents checks to the school over and over and over again for a decade, then ordering staff to destroy records in a coverup. Kreuper's crimes occurred during her role as the school's principal, a position from which she retired in 2018. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Kreuper's embezzlement is nothing like what goes in the political circles of the country. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ 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. 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. Officials said she would alter the checks by endorsing them with a stamp that read "St. James Convent" instead of "St. James School.". Assistant United States Attorney Poonam G. Kumar of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case. 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. As part of her efforts to suppress everything, she got school employees to change and destroy financial records during a school audit. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. Ive broken the law and I have no excuses. California nun, 79, to admit to stealing $835K from school funds. A Los Angeles nun jailed for stealing more than $800,000 to fund a gambling habit has admitted "I have sinned". eventAction: 'click_image_ads' Minyvonne Burkeis a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. The St. James Catholic Church school in Torrance, California, on February 7, 2022. }); She diverted tuition to a secret account, which she used to fund casino trips, prosecutors said. Kreuper is also accused of directing St. James School employees to alter and destroy financial records during a school audit. 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. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), He settled on one year and a day in prison. (CBSLA). We are one of the worlds fastest growing Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of . Kreuper acknowledged that for a period of 10 years ending in September 2018, she embezzled $835,339 from St. James Catholic School. Kreuper, who had taken a vow of poverty, admitted in the plea agreement to diverting school funds into the St. James Convent account and the St. James savings account and then using 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. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, was charged Tuesday with one count each of wire fraud and money laundering. }) The investigation into this matter is being conducted by the Torrance Police Department, the FBI, and IRS Criminal Investigation. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper admitted embezzling $835,000 from St James Catholic School in the LA suburb of Torrance. hitType: 'event', eventAction: 'view' She diverted tuition to a secret account, which she used to fund casino trips, prosecutors said. ", The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet to which the Chang and Kreuper belonged to had released a statement after their scheme came to light in 2018. In March 2017, for instance, Kreuper deposited $5,700 in checks made out to the school into the convent account and then, in April 2017, wrote a check against the convent account for $6,000, made out to person who deposited the check and gave her the cash, the site reported. 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. On an annualized basis (approximately $83,000 per year), [Kreuper] stole the equivalent of the tuition of 14 different students per year, prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. Kreuper also directed St. James School employees to alter and destroy financial records during a school audit. "They and their Order pray that you have not lost trust or faith in the educators and administrators of the school. Some parents at her hearing said their children felt betrayed by her decision to take their tuition money. This is merely an explanation.. (213) 894-4465. After reviewing all the letters, Wright said, it appeared most families had forgiven Kreuper. ga('ads.send', { Mary Margaret Kreuper was the principal of the elementary school for 28 years. 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. A locked padlock 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.. 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. ga('ads.send', { Kreuper agreed to both charges which carry a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in federal prison. She even attempted to destroy documents when an audit nearly exposed her arrangement. 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, Kreupers attorneys wrote. A lock ( Kreuper, as a nun, had taken a vow of poverty and diverted school funds into the St. James Convent Account and the St. James Savings Account. 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. 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.. Her deadline to show up for incarceration is noon on June 7. Mary Margaret Kreuper admitted to stealing the money from 2008 to 2018 while she was principal at St. James Catholic School in the LA suburb of Torrance. eventAction: 'click_ads' Parent and former school secretaryCheryl Hugo reportedly called Kreupers actions an abuse of power in every possible way.. 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. Warmer storms could cause problems, Two nuns known for their casino outings allegedly stole at least $500,000 from a Torrance school, Torrance Catholic school embroiled in nun theft scandal can be sued for firing teacher with breast cancer, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Im visiting all 600 L.A. spots on the National Register. Online prison records do not yet show Kreuper in federal custody. Sister Lana, her 67-year-old accomplice, worked there for 20 years as. Julija Garunkstis, who attended the small school of three stucco and red-brick buildings from 2005 to 2014, told the judge about the fear that Kreuper instilled in children when they misbehaved. }); 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. Los Angeles, California 90012. "They were just such staunch defenders of moral fortitude, they were really tough on the kids," she said. Myers said both the nuns had confessed to their crimes. According to her plea agreement reviewed by Courthouse News, Kreuper began diverting both cash and checks the school received from payment for children's tuition and as donations into a St. James Convent bank account (established to pay for the living expenses of the nuns who worked at the school) as well as a the St. James savings account established for the school itself. As a Catholic nun, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty. On screen in one of the Zoom windows were five fellow nuns from her order, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. eventAction: 'load' However, her arrangement came to light following a 2018 financial review after her retirement. Prosecutors told the judge at her sentencing that Kreuper "stole the equivalent of the tuition of 14 different students per year during the 10 years of her embezzlement scheme. It turns out that at the time Kristen Biel learned she had breast cancer, Kreuper, the school principal who fired her, was embezzling large amounts of money to go on gambling sprees in Las Vegas.. 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. As part of her role as the head of the institution, Kreuper oversaw all funds the school received for tuition fees and charitable donations. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering in July 2021 and has agreed to a plea deal for allegedly embezzling $835,000 while she was. 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. 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. According to authorities, she spent 10 years embezzling money from St. James Catholic School where she served as principal. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. Police will, however, still follow the case and present their findings to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ Kreuper pleaded guilty in July to federal wire fraud and . 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. 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. 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. pg.acq.push(function() { }); Kreuper pleaded guilty in July 2021 to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. 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. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The school became aware of the alleged embezzlement in a routine audit when one of the nuns retired as the school's principal. 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. 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. ciaran.mcevoy@usdoj.gov 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. }); The systems that were set up were dividing people, so nobody knew what was happening, he said at the meeting. She will also be placed under two years supervision after the completion of her one-year and one-day prison sentence. 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 for allegedly embezzling $835,000 while she was the. She pleaded guilty last July . 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. 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 . 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. },false) Have a tip we should know? Prosecutors alleged that she was also responsible for controlling credit union accounts, including a savings account for the school and another account to pay the living expenses of nuns hired by the institution. We do know they had a pattern of going to casinos, and the reality is, they used the account as their personal account," an attorney told the crowd at the meeting. Kreupers attorneys Mark A. Byrne and Daniel V. Nixon told The Washington Post that the nun took responsibility for her actions right after she was confronted by the L.A. archdiocese. By Megan Carpentier The St. James Catholic Church school in Torrance, California, on February 7, 2022. Prosecutors say that Kreuper who served as the principal of St. James' school for 28 years prior to her 2018 arrest began embezzling money from the school in 2008 when she was around 66 years old. Have a question about Government Services? Today, we commit to respond boldly to injustice and dare to be prophetic. Love of God is at the heart of our charism. Sister Mary Margaret became a nun when she turned 18 in 1960 and took a vow of poverty. These also include her gambling trips, revealed federal prosecutors. hitType: 'event', 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. I was wrong, and I am profoundly sorry for the pain and the suffering that I have caused so many people, she told Wright. pg.acq.push(function() { The charges against the 79-year-old were leveled on Tuesday, June 8, and prosecutors at the same time filed a plea agreement. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { 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. 'I have sinned, I've broken the law and I . An indictment was unsealed today charging Terren S. Peizer, the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ontrak Inc., a Henderson, Nevada-based publicly traded health care company, for A Carson man who was a central figure in an international fraud and money-laundering network that targeted $25 million through a variety of frauds including romance scams and elder A former executive at cinema subscription service MoviePass Inc. has been arrested on a federal grand jury indictment alleging he embezzled approximately $260,000 from MoviePass parent company to repay money Central District of California }); Las hermanas Mary Margaret Kreuper (exdirectora) y Lana Chang (exprofesora) hurtaron dinero procedente de las matrculas, las cuotas y donaciones de la escuela catlica St. James de Torrance 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.. 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. Kreuper was part of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet order, which Newsweek has contacted for comment. 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. 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. United States Attorneys Office Our community is deeply saddened by the pain and difficulty Sister Marys actions have caused for the parents, administration, staff and students of St. James School in Redondo Beach, California and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. 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. "We. ga('ads.send', { Who is Mary Margaret Kreuper? "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. ga('ads.send', { WATCH LIVE: Psychic on Trial in Spousal Swindling Case, WATCH LIVE: XXXTentacion murder trial 3 men charged in 2018 shooting death of rapper, WATCH LIVE: Murdaugh Family Double-Murder Trial, Law&Crime Looks Ahead to 10 Remarkable Criminal Trials Scheduled for the First Half of 2023, 9 Shocking Times Defendants Testified at Trial, Ohio homicide detectives investigate two deaths as DNA helps identify skull and bones found decades ago, He just f***ing killed him!: Suspect identified after video shows shooter executing man in broad daylight in St. Louis, Manipulative psychic coached 20-something woman on bilking and kissing 80-year-old businessman: Prosecutors, Says it all: experts react to Buster Murdaughs facepalm during fathers testimony in double murder trial, Former NFL running back sentenced to jail following brutal video of attack on ex-girlfriend that went viral, is set to spend a year and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release, LIVE: Closing statements begin in Alex Murdaugh double murder trial Day 25, Marilyn Manson accuser's sudden 180 won't get into court in Evan Rachel Wood case, judge rules, Alex Murdaugh has admitted to dozens of financial crimes and faces over 700 years in prison for those concessions alone, Ghislaine Maxwell appeal claims she was prosecuted to 'satisfy public outrage' over Jeffrey Epstein plea deal, jailhouse death, Unsealed search warrant reveals new evidence against accused quadruple murderer Bryan Kohberger in grisly fatal stabbings of Idaho students, Elderly Florida man caught with over one ton of printed child porn images in home: Sheriff, Man sentenced for stabbing 16-year-old boy in the heart in fight over another teens ex-girlfriend, Convicted murderer identified as suspect in 1980 cold case of 21-year-old N.J. woman found shot in the head in California, Florida man indicted for allegedly killing pregnant girlfriend who wanted to celebrate his murder acquittal, He grabbed him by his head and slit his throat: Girlfriend of slain news anchor provides grisly details of terrifying attack. She doesnt have anywhere to go, he said. Now Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, is set to spend a year and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release. As principal a position she held for 28 years Kreuper was responsible for the money the school received to pay for tuition and fees, as well as for charitable donations. if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California, Environmental Crimes and Community Safety, Nun Who Embezzled Tuition Money from Torrance Catholic Elementary School Sentenced to One Year in Federal Prison, CEO of Nevada-Based Publicly Traded Health Care Company Charged with Federal Crimes for Alleged Insider Trading Scheme, Carson Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Prison for Role in International Conspiracy to Launder Money Taken from Fraud Victims, Former MoviePass Executive Arrested on Indictment Alleging He Embezzled $260,000 from Employer to Repay Coachella Debt, Nun Who Embezzled Tuition Money From Torrance Catholic Elementary School Sentenced To One Year In Federal Prison. Meyers also said at the meeting that Kreuper began displaying "very nervous and very anxious" behavior about the audit and allegedly asked staff to change records. Michael Finnegan is a Los Angeles Times reporter covering federal courts and law enforcement. 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. "Unfortunately, later in her life she has been suffering from a mental illness that clouded her judgment and caused her to do something that she otherwise would not have done. Sisters of St. Joseph of CarondeletFebruary 7, 2022February 14, 2022. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet are a congregation of Catholic sisters. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. . 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