Sr. Mary Margaret Kreuper, CSJ and Sr. Lana Chang, CSJ, who both retired this year from St. James Catholic School in Torrance, are alleged to have misappropriated nearly $500,000 from the school.. For three years, Byrne told the judge, the nuns in her order have kept her under severe restrictions at a convent. Not all of the years appear to have involved alleged financial crimes. Mary Margaret Kreuper, of Los Angeles, was the principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance for 28 years. The school became aware of the alleged embezzlement in a routine audit when one of the nuns retired as the school's principal. Now Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, is set to spend a year and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release. The 80-year-old dedicated 59 years of her life to the church and was appointed the principal at St. James Catholic School in 1990. 312 North Spring Street According to the plea agreement, Kreuper embezzled money from St. James for a period of 10 years ending in September 2018. ", 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. 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. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper (CBS News) In a statement, the Archdiocese said they informed law enforcement of the misappropriated school funds after she announced her retirement in 2018. 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, 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. Kreuper also falsified the school's monthly and yearly financial reports to hide her embezzlement and, when questioned by parents about the school's resources, told them "there was no money for an awning at school and no money for field trips," prosecutors said. 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. 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. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper was reportedly able to escape intervention from authorities for 10 years as she diverted tuition fees and other funds to old and secret bank accounts. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 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. 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. 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. My actions were in violation of my vows, my commandments, the law and, above all, the sacred trust that so many had placed in me. 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. 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. 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. These funds were intended to further the students education, not fund [Kreupers] lifestyle. document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ She pleaded guilty last July . eventAction: 'click_image_ads' 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. Parent and former school secretaryCheryl Hugo reportedly called Kreupers actions an abuse of power in every possible way.. "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. Prior to her sentencing, the nun had already been placed under several restrictions by the order of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ 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. Have a question about Government Services? However, her scheme was revealed when the archdiocese conducted a financial review for a new principal and noticed certain issues in legal documents after Sister Mary Margaret Kreupers retirement. 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. 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. Kreuper was part of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet order, which Newsweek has contacted for comment. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. } According to authorities, she spent 10 years embezzling money from St. James Catholic School where she served as principal. Her deadline to show up for incarceration is noon on June 7. While at the organization, she was responsible for the money the school received to pay for tuition and fees as well as charitable donations. Officials with the archdiocese alleged the nuns spent some of the money on personal trips and gambling, the Press-Telegram reported. She pled guilty to the charges in July 2021 and admitted that she embezzled money from the school for over a decade during her tenure. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! For a period of 10 years ending in September 2018, Kreuper embezzled money from St. James Catholic School. "We. In July, she pleaded guilty to one count each of. In their letters [to the court], several students and parents commented on how the school was lacking in resourcesAnother parent discussed [in a letter to the court] how [Kreuper] said there was no money for an awning at school and no money for field trips.. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty A now-retired nun has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $800,000 from the St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, from 2008 to 2018, the last decade of her 28-year tenure as principal of the institution.Sister Kreuper who took a vow of poverty confessed to using the . Kreuper allegedly held on to some of the checks and deposited them into a separate bank account than the one used by the school. As part of her efforts to suppress everything, she got school employees to change and destroy financial records during a school audit. 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.". 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. Assistant United States Attorney Poonam G. Kumar of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case. "Sister Mary Margaret and Sister Lana have expressed to me and asked that I convey to you, the deep remorse they each feel for their actions and ask for your forgiveness and prayers," Meyers said in a Nov. 28 letter to parents. She was the principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance for 28 years. 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.. 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. }); 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. Sister Mary Margaret, 77, was a pillar of the community who spent 29 years as the principal of St. James Catholic School. Author of the article: Myers said both the nuns had confessed to their crimes. She pleaded guilty last July to one count . 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. U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II has set sentencing for February 7, 2022, when he would expect her to make a statement. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, was charged Tuesday with one count each of wire fraud and money laundering. Of course, none of her control legitimately extended to using school funds for large gambling expenses incurred at casinos and certain credit card charges, but that is what Kreuper did. }); The archdiocese did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment. However, the nun started diverting the money into secret accounts in 2008 to fund her gambling habits and personal credit card charges. 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. Kreuper acknowledged that for a period of 10 years ending in September 2018, she embezzled $835,339 from St. James Catholic School. }); 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. 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". MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of In court papers it was . Kreuper is also accused of directing St. James School employees to alter and destroy financial records during a school audit. Track SoCal rain with LIVE Megadoppler 7000 HD. [emailprotected]. The now-retired nun, Mary Margaret Kreuper,. Meyers said he then notified the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, who in turn hired an independent forensic auditor to perform a review. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of the Arlington Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles, was sentenced by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II, who also ordered her to pay $825,338 in restitution. A nun has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $835,000 in school funds, which she spent on gambling and other expenses. Have a tip we should know? READ ALSO | 2 nuns accused of embezzling 'substantial' amount from Catholic school in Torrance. 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. 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. 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. 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. At the prosecutors request, the judge later lowered the amount by $10,000 to account for what she has already repaid. As a Catholic nun, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty. When an audit threatened to expose the scheme, Kreuper instructed St. James employees to destroy documents. Sister Mary Margaret became a nun when she turned 18 in 1960 and took a vow of poverty. Los Angeles, California 90012. Emailus. 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. A bookkeeper who knew about the nuns' scheme voluntarily took a leave of absence during the investigation, Michael Meyers, the churchs monsignor, said during the meeting, according to the Press-Telegram. I dont feel that Im a victim in this case, he said. "The Sisters have confirmed the misappropriation of funds and have cooperated in the investigation. Central District of California (Los Angeles) 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. ga('ads.send', { Let us pray for our school families and for Sister Mary Margaret and Sister Lana," he added. 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. Kreuper's crimes occurred during her role as the school's principal, a position from which she retired in 2018. At least I hope you do.. },false) TORRANCE, Calif. (CNS) -- The retired principal of a Catholic elementary school in Torrance who embezzled more than $835,000 in school funds to support a gambling habit was sentenced to one year and a day in prison on Monday. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, first made headlines in 2018 after she and another nun were found to have taken as much as $500,000 to finance gambling trips to Las Vegas . eventAction: 'click_ads' 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.. . A media statement issued last month by her attorneys, Mark A. Byrne and Daniel V. Nixon, said that Sister Mary Margaret had been "very remorseful" and had accepted full responsibility for what she had done. He previously covered state and national politics, including the 2020 presidential campaign. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. ciaran.mcevoy@usdoj.gov window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { The systems that were set up were dividing people, so nobody knew what was happening, he said at the meeting. "They and their Order pray that you have not lost trust or faith in the educators and administrators of the school. The total losses Kreuper caused to St. James Catholic School were $835,339. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty in July to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges. Most of the funds she blew on gambling trips to Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe with. We seek to build communities and bridge divides between people. '', 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. 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. Copyright 2023 by City News Service, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Kreuper had recently retired, which automatically triggered an audit that found irregularities, . As part of her role as the head of the institution, Kreuper oversaw all funds the school received for tuition fees and charitable donations. A lock ( The judge said he was grappling with the possibility that conditions at the convent might be worse than prison. Michael Finnegan is a Los Angeles Times reporter covering federal courts and law enforcement. Public Information Officer Police will, however, still follow the case and present their findings to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. 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 We also deeply value relationships. Ciaran McEvoy On screen in one of the Zoom windows were five fellow nuns from her order, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. ", She also admitted in the plea agreement to falsifying monthly and annual reports to the school's administration to cover up the fraudulent conduct and "lulled 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, in turn, allowed defendant Kreuper to maintain her access and control of the school's finances and accounts and, thus, continue operating the fraudulent scheme.". And I don't look at nuns as ordinary people. Mary Margaret Kreuper was so close to getting away with it. }); In the spring of 2014, Kristen Biel had just been diagnosed with breast cancer and needed time off from her teaching job at St. hitType: 'event', }); Official websites use .gov Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison and ordered to pay $825,338 in restitution, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. The nun served as the principal of the elementary school for nearly 28 years until her retirement in 2018. Kreuper agreed to both charges which carry a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in federal prison. 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. window.adsContainer = {"positionAfterTitle":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle5_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position2":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_After_Title_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position3":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Below_Next_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle1_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle2_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position7":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle3_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle4_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle5_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position10":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle6_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position11":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle7_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position12":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle8_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position13":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle9_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position14":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle10_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position15":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle11_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position16":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle12_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"positionTop":{"code":"Article_Desktop_970x250_Header_Rel","isOrganicUserAd":false,"max_width":970,"max_height":250},"positionBottom":{"code":"Article_Desktop_Sidebar_Bottom_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":300,"max_height":600},"positionBottomRight":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_After_Title_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":336,"max_height":280}} }) A nun is pictured at Vatican's Gregorian University. 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.. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { She also controlled accounts at a credit union, including a savings account for the school and one used to pay for the living expenses of the nuns employed by the school. The church was made aware of the scheme around June when it began a routine audit in response to Kreupers retiring. 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. "They were just such staunch defenders of moral fortitude, they were really tough on the kids," she said. 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. 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. JudgeOtis D. Wright II, however, said that the majority of letters to the court from people like coworkers, church leaders, parents, and former students pushed for a lighter sentence. 2 nuns accused of embezzling 'substantial ' amount from Catholic school a Los Angeles, pleaded last. A vow of poverty July, she embezzled $ 835,339 from St. James school. Which Newsweek has contacted for comment Sisters of St. James Catholic school in Torrance for 28 years to alter destroy... Audit that found irregularities, of Carondelet order, which she spent 10 years ending in September,. 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