The first teacher, Agnes Morrissey-Berru, claimed her employment contract was not renewed after 16 years service because of illegal age discrimination. 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. Kreuper did not recognize she had a gambling problem until she was accused of embezzling more than $835,000 from the school, Byrne said. Prosecutors had recommended a 24-month prison sentence, three years of . ", Church says nuns embezzled from SoCal school to cover Vegas gambling tripswww.youtube.com. These nuns took a vow of poverty and said, Oh no, weve got a rich uncle, parent Jack Alexander said. Sister Mary Margaret and Sister Lana were both Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Nun stops burglary with quick thinking and prayers: This is Gods property, Sister Andre, the worlds oldest living person, dies at 118, I was a celibate nun for 24 years then fell in love with a Catholic monk, Priest accused of inviting two nuns to take part in a threesome. The scheme was uncovered during an audit after Kreuper retired in 2018. On. Her husband, Darryl Biel, remembers that day vividly. The second suit was brought by Kristen Biel against St. James School in Torrance. The Daily Caller | 1775 Eye Street NW | Suite 1150-290 | Washington, DC 20006. Parents said the two nuns were big on moral. In December of that year, fraud allegations emerged against her and another nun, Sister Lana Chang, who had taught at the school. "Requiring a church to accept or retain an unwanted minister or punishing a church for failing to do so intrudes upon more than a mere employment decision," Roberts said. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty. The nun took frequent gambling trips to Las Vegas and holidays to Lake Tahoe and other locations in southern California, according to Poonam Kumar, the assistant US attorney. At least, thats where they caught her. 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79,of Los Angeles, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, She defrauded St. James Catholic Schoolover a period of 10 years, As principal, Kreuper had been in charge of the school's credit union account, where she was meant to deposit cash and checks from tuition, fees and donations, Also implicated in the scheme was Lana Chang, who worked as a teacher at St. James before becoming vice principal, Nun, 79, STOLE $835,000 from Catholic school over 10 years to fund her gambling trips, Teenage boy shot friend, 15, in face with his grandad's shotgun after 'being repeatedly humiliated and bullied by him', Apple pie could be CANCELED after writer links treat to genocide and cultural appropriation, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have 'done nothing but seek publicity' since leaving UK, former Palace aide claims, Woman, 21, records terrifying moment Uber driver relentlessly pesters her for sex despite her telling him 'no', Inside Bidens 30million G7 ring of steel with warships, The Beast & 400 Secret Service agents watching his every move, Murder probe scuppered after alligator makes off with dead body found floating in river, JBSA Lackland put on lockdown after shooting outside Air Force base in San Antonio. The church body in the case commissions teachers as ministers, but does not ordain them. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty in July to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges. Chief Justice John Roberts announced the opinion from the bench, noting that the teacher who brought the case was not a lay teacher. Kumar said the nuns instruction to the auditors sparked suspicion, and they reported the incident to Msgr. Other parents remarked it was well-known that Kreuper and Chang traveled often and went gambling, with the two women claiming they were gifted the trips by a rich relative. All rights reserved. If these teachers are exempt, he adds, then millions of employees are automatically exempt from laws enacted by Congress to protect workers, simply because they perform some duty their employer considers religious. James Convent, not St. "Millions of people across the country who never thought or understood themselves to be leaders of the faith" would now "magically have no employment protections," he says. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper A curated collection of links The Record What are records? Officials made the discovery in June after performing a routine audit following Kreupers retirement. Kreuper was in charge of the schools credit union account, where she was meant to deposit cash and checks from tuition, fees and donations. Kreuper also admitted to falsifying monthly and annual reports to the school administration in an effort to cover up the embezzlement. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images). But Fisher notes that the schools in these cases do not claim any religious reason for firing the teachers. This time the question is whether lay teachers at parochial schools are exempt from the nation's fair employment laws. Eric Rassbach of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, who is representing the schools before the court, disagrees. Rather, he said, she is religiously trained and a commissioned minister of the church. 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 wrote in a letter to parents on Nov. 28. Kreuper was 18 years old when she took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, her lawyers told the Post. She was so hurt that they could be doing this to her.". Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. Mary Margaret Kreuper was so close to getting away with it. At the sentencing hearing, those who spoke were split on their feelings toward the nun and what she had done. Poonam Kumar, the assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California who prosecuted the case, told The Washington Post that Kreuper had diverted checks and cash from St. James parents into a long-overlooked church account to pay for large gambling expenses incurred at casinos and certain credit-card charges. The actions were done before the money could be accounted for, displaying repetitive and deceptive behavior, over and over again, the prosecutor said. In a statement to The Washington Post, Kreupers lawyers said she is very remorseful and sorry for any harm she has caused. Jaclyn Peiser contributed to this report. })(); Adriana Kuch attackers identified on social media in planned attack, St Louis execution shooting of homeless man: arrest made, Karen calls cops on black men shovelling snow for free outsider her home, Idaho murder suspect had multiple photos of female victim on phone, Torrance Catholic school nuns steal $500K for gambling habit- church resists charges. Prosecutors say the nun also ordered school employees to alter and destroy financial records during the audit. 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 of 10 years. The auditor found that tuition checks, fees and donations were being deposited into a bank account not used by the school. One article quoted a church accountant as ball-parking the amount at $500,000. 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 poverty. She claimed that the salary differential between nuns and priests meant she was owed this money, which is inconsistent with the vow of poverty she took.. Kreuper as the schools principal, handled all tuition payments, with the sister depositing checks into a separate account that she and Chang had access to. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty. Nun who stole $835K from school to fund gambling habit is going to prison: I have sinned, Carolyn Hax: Boyfriends visits leave single mom with no time for herself, Miss Manners: What to do when a fellow diner was rude to server. She spent the next 59 years of her life dedicated to the church, they said. I have sinned, Ive broken the law and I have no excuses, Kreuper said at the sentencing over Zoom. 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. She admitted to taking a total of $835,000 in donations from the elementary school, and faces up to 40 years in federal prison. Sister Mary Margaret became a nun when she turned 18 in 1960 and took a vow of poverty. Parents and alumni of St. James told KTTV-TV in late 2018 that they hoped the school followed through with pursuing criminal complaints against Kreuper and Chang. His findings unraveled the entire scheme and, eventually, federal charges were levied against Sister Mary Margaret. All rights reserved. His wife, he said, drove into their driveway "in tears bawling hysterically. "You don't want the government deciding who teaches religion we don't do that in this country that's why we have an establishment clause," says Rassbach. Get the news that matters most delivered directly to your inbox. When Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper was 18 years old, she vowed to dedicate her life to the education of children and helping those in need. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, admitted stealing the money from St James Catholic School in the L.A. suburb of Torrance, where she was school principal for nearly 30 years. His . The tuition checks and funds sent to St. James Catholic School between 2008 and 2018 that were stolen by Kreuper equaled the tuition of 14 different students per year, prosecutors said. The scheme was uncovered during an audit after Kreuper retired in 2018. When Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper became a nun, she took vows to live as Jesus did through chastity, obedience and service to the poor, sick and uneducated. He added, Its not meant as an excuse. She then used some of the funds to pay for "large gambling expenses incurred at casinos and certain credit card charges.. They and their Order pray that you have not lost trust or faith in the educators and administrators of the school. This is because, as part of the plea deal, the prosecutors have agreed to recommend to the court an "offense level" of 25 for Kreuper's crimes, and will further advise the court to reduce that to 23, or even 22. US District Court Judge Otis Wright acknowledged his own anguish in deciding a punishment to fit the crime, saying "I haven't slept well in God knows how long" as he rejected prosecutors' call for a two-year sentence. The judges sentencing came as detractors and supporters showed up over Zoom to testify against or pledge their support for Kreuper, who had been a nun for 62 years. "I wanted to face them. But the court's eventual decision could reach beyond teachers, affecting the lives of millions of other employees who work for religiously affiliated institutions. The now-retired nun (I didnt know nuns could retire) admitted to stealing about $835,000 in donations, tuition and fees. For decades, lower courts have recognized an exception to the nation's employment laws for ministers. On June 9, for example, Fox News reported that: A retired Los Angeles nun will plead guilty to embezzling $835,000 from the elementary school where she worked in order to cover her gambling habits and other personal expenses, officials said this week. James School, before tapping the funds for personal use. Sister Mary Margaret was making bank (very illegally) through laundering and threw everyone off of the scent by reminding them of her vow of poverty. 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. German cardinal offers to resign over sexual abuse catastrophe, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. She is set to be arraigned in court on July 1. Months after Kreuper admitted to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars, the 80-year-old was sentenced on Monday to a year and a day in federal prison. Kreuper, who pleaded guilty last summer to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II to pay more than $825,000 in restitution. 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 . American sister stole money from accounts she controlled as a headteacher and used it to pay off credit card charges and "large gambling expenses incurred at casinos". Investigators determined the money went to accounts the school didnt know about, Kumar said. An old unused bank account was the giveaway. I, for one, absolutely love this move. 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 parents and alumni at Mondays meeting. St. James teacher Lana Chang admitted along with Kreuper to the embezzlement in 2018, following each of their retirements earlier that year. It is "telling," in these cases, he says, that the "teachers did not even have to be Catholic to have these jobs.". Around the same time, a St. James parent asked question at a school meeting about an old tuition check that had an endorsement on the back of check that did not line up with the schools primary account, the prosecutor said. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, was sentenced on Monday to 12 months and one day in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II and ordered to pay $825,338 in restitution to the St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California . The 80-year-old nun pleaded for mercy after stealing $835,339 from an elementary Catholic school to fund her gambling addiction.. She would endorse the checks with a stamp saying St. She was also entrusted with overseeing the St. James Covenant Account, a savings account that funded the living expenses of the nuns who worked at the school, the indictment against her states. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, who worked as the school principal for 28 years, and Sister Lana Chang, a teacher at the school for 20 years, reportedly bilked the funds over a period of at least a . Cyclist falls to her death after drawbridge opens while shes on it, Trump tells Joe Rogan to stop apologizing for Spotify controversies, Frozen out of GoFundMe, Canadian protest convoy raises millions on Christian sit. For more information about our use of cookies, our collection, use, and disclosure of personal information generally, and any rights you may have to access, delete, or opt out of the sale of your personal information, please view our Privacy Policy. I was wrong, and Im profoundly sorry for the pain and suffering Ive caused so many people., Despite her vow of poverty, nun stole more than $835,000 from a Catholic school, prosecutors said. Julija Garunkstis, a St. James mother who attended the school between 2005 and 2014, said Kreuper had shaken her faith. Yes, a Nun Has Admitted to Embezzling $835,000 from a Catholic School Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering for her role in a scheme to defraud a. James Convent instead of St. "She's 80. But somewhere along the line, you just ran completely off the road, and I think you understand that. Pic: St James Catholic School. During his sentencing, Wright, a 2007 appointee under President George W. Bush, praised Kreuper for her tenure as one heck of a teacher at the school. The Archdiocese appears to have now changed course-with ABC Newsreporting a criminal case may now be in the works following deepening investigations. News of the indiscretions led to the archdiocese and the church announcing they wouldnt file criminal charges against the nuns after apologizing for their actions. In June 2021, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper admitted to embezzling $835,000 from the Catholic school where she served as principal for 28 years. Make sure you see our stories daily directly to your inbox. 15 Episodes of Seinfeld That Teach Everything You Need To Know About Life. This article was published more than1 year ago. When first confronted, Mr Kumar said, the nun claimed she "did it in part because she believes priests get paid better than nuns". Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, who was principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, used the school funds to . znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr); In total, across a period of 10 years, Kreuper siphoned $835,339 from the school's accounts. Recap: Court Weighs Whether Religious Schools Can Fire Lay Workers, Listen Live: Supreme Court Arguments Schedule, Top 5 Moments From The Supreme Court's 1st Week Of Livestreaming Arguments, Fervor Vs Compromise At Supreme Court Birth Control Arguments, Supreme Court Arguments A Tech Success, But Format Strangles Usual Give-And-Take, Supreme Court Considers Anti-Prostitution Pledge In HIV/AIDS Funding Case. The exception extends to religiously affiliated institutions when they fire employees who serve in a religious capacity akin to that of a minister. Mary Kreuper: Nun who stole $835,000 to fund gambling habit admits 'I have sinned', Sister Mary Kreuper embezzled more than 600,000 from the school where she worked. Officials pointed out that Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty as a nun. Nuns should realize that just by living their lives and living the way they do and treating people the way they do, they affect children for the rest of their lives, the judge said, according to the Los Angeles Times. Kreuper, he said, quoting an expert, was addicted to gambling, adding that it "is not an excuse for what she did merely an explanation". As principal, Kreuper had been in charge of the school's credit union account, where she was meant to deposit cash and checks from tuition, fees and donations. We use cookies to better understand website visitors, for advertising, and to offer you a better experience. Sister Mary Margaret and Sister Lana were in the clear. When the fraudulent behavior first came to light, the order was deeply disappointed and offered to repay the lost funds only believed to be $500,000 at the time. The 79-year-old former nun pleaded guilty to federal charges for stealing more than $800,000 from St. James Catholic School earlier this month. Kreuper has agreed to plead guilty to the charges in a deal with prosecutors, the US Attorney's Office of California said in a statement. Of course, at 79, the likelihood that Sister Mary Margaret will see any jail time is relatively slim. var zergnet = document.createElement('script'); Associate Editor at BroBible covering all five major sports and every niche sport imaginable, found primarily in the college space. Her embezzlement activities took place from about 2008-2018. These nuns took a vow of poverty and said, oh no, weve got a rich uncle, one parent told the Press-Telegram. Instead of sitting in the Supreme Court chamber, though, Biel, like the rest of us, will be at home listening. She just enjoyed gambling, he said. Kreuper signed the plea agreement, which Snopes has obtained and which can be read in full here, on June 2, 2021. That was the first clue that unraveled a significant scheme. A spokesperson with St. James did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. The St. James Catholic Church school in Torrance, California, on February 7, 2022. A Los Angeles nun jailed for stealing more than $800,000 to fund a gambling habit has admitted "I have sinned". Kobe Bryant's widow awarded nearly $29m after police shared photos of helicopter crash, Doctors recommend end-of-life decision for Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore, Ramon Escobar: Serial murderer suspected of killing prison inmate. She claimed that she was fired after she told her superior, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. 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 defraudingSt. James Catholic Schoolover a period of 10 years. (Shutterstock) LOS ANGELES, CA The retired principal of a Catholic . The rich uncle was the parents of the St. James students., The school monsignor has since sent out a letter in which the nuns asked that i convey to you the deep remorse they each feel for their actions and ask for your forgiveness and prayers.. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet confirm that today the judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles has sentenced our Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, CSJ to one year and one day in federal prison followed by two years' supervised release. The pair confessed to using the funds for gambling excursions to Las Vegas and other spending sprees. The 79-year-old former nun pleaded guilty to federal charges for stealing more than $800,000 from St. James Catholic School earlier this month. We've received your submission. Though he acknowledges that the teachers taught religion from a workbook about three hours a week, Fisher says these teachers were "primarily lay employees" teaching "secular subjects. "As soon as she was confronted she accepted full responsibility for what she had done and she has cooperated completely with law enforcement and the Archdiocese,the pair said in a joint statement. 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.. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison, months after she admitted to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from St. James Catholic School in Torrance . The sisters later confessed to using the funds for themselves. Kreuper belongs to the order of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. The two announced their retirement at the same time and were on their way out in 2018. Kreuper pleaded guilty last July. Jon Jones Reacts To Islam Makhachev Declaring Himself The Best Fighter In The World, Shavkat Rakhmonov Reacts To ESPN/UFC Commentator Laura Sanko Thirsting Over Him In Viral Video, Jon Jones First Shirtless Pic At Heavyweight Before UFC 285 Goes Viral, Ja Morants Lawyer, Agent Threaten Legal Recourse For Defamatory Report From The Washington Post, Another Glitch In The Matrix Has Occurred As A Bird Is Filmed Motionless In Mid-Air, Bengals Exec Sends Harsh Wake-Up Call To Teams Sniffing Around Tee Higgins. Two nuns who formerly worked at St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, confessed to embezzling at least $500,000 from the school so that they could gamble it away at Las Vegas casinos, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said at a meeting with parents and alumni on Monday. As principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, she certainly did but while also embezzling more than $835,000 in funds to support her secretive gambling habit. Copyright 2008-2023 BroBible. Police will still present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office, NBC reported. However, the church chose not to press charges against the two nuns. When first confronted by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper blamed the gender pay gap and said she deserved a raise because "priests get paid better than nuns". Mr Kumar said that jealousy played a part, calling the episode "really an abuse of position of trust". Dan Mac Guill is a former writer for Snopes. 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". Kristen Biel would return to teaching elsewhere while fighting her case in court, but in June 2019, she died. Thanks for contacting us. Maybe if she had used her poker face to see more success in Vegas, she wouldnt have been in this position to begin with. You can be proud of that, he said. At Monday's argument, Stanford law professor Jeff Fisher, who is representing the teachers, will tell the justices that by the terms of the teachers' contracts and the school handbooks, these teachers were hired to teach academic subjects. Apparently, the Vegas trips were common knowledge, but the nuns explained that the gambling excursions were gifts from a rich uncle. According to Newstalk.com, the school indicated in a letter to parents at the time that they did not want to pursue criminal charges against the duo, after they both expressed "desire and inten[t] to make complete restitution to St. James School.". A spokesperson for the order confirmed for Snopes that, as of June 9, 2021, Kreuper was still a member of the Los Angeles congregation, but the restrictions against her remained in place, and she was no longer involved in any public ministry. She faces up to 40 years in federal prison, but is claiming mental illness. Also implicated in the scheme was Lana Chang, who worked as a teacher at St. James before becoming vice principal. This material may not be reproduced without permission. Monday's case, however, does not involve trained and ordained ministers of the faith. Kreuper falsified monthly and annual reports to cover up her crime and asked school employees to alter and destroy financial records during an audit. But. Five of the nine justices hearing Monday's case attended Catholic secondary schools, and several of them have sent their children to parochial schools as well. A retired nun has admitted to embezzling $835,000 over 10 years from a Catholic school in California to fund her gambling habit, according to federal prosecutors. Local 10 Newsreported Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang of St.James Catholic School(both retiring earlier this year) using money from the schools funds to live a life of luxury over the last ten years. "She doesn't have anywhere to go," he said. 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.". I have sinned, I have broken the law and I have no excuses, Kreuper told the judge during her hearing, according to the Los Angeles Times. Sister Lana Chang, a vice principal who was initially implicated in the scheme, was not charged. In the process, Kreuper falsified monthly and annual reports to the St. James 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. The sisters, described as best friends, both retired earlier this year. Mary Margaret Kreuper (Image source: KTTV-TV video screenshot). Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang were seen as two of the strictest nuns at St James Catholic School in Torrance, California. Were those functions to be considered ministerial, Fisher says, the results would be dire. He had planned to be in Washington for Monday's argument. Kreuper, 79, was charged Tuesday with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, and in a plea agreement pleaded guilty to both charges, the Associated Press reported. The two holy women were eventually caught out after a recent audit. According to prosecutors, Kreuper admitted that she 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.. Michael Meyers, the churchs monsignor, said Kreuper was very nervous and anxious during the audit and she reportedly asked staff members to change school records. In her plea agreement, Sister Mary Margaret confirmed that the stolen money was used for credit card charges and large gambling expenses incurred at casinos. the U.S. attorneys office said. In doing so, she agreed to plead guilty to: The money laundering charge relates to an episode in 2017, in which Kreuper improperly deposited checks from parents of pupils at the school into a convent bank account, rather than the school's bank account, then later used the convent account to write a $6,000 check to another unnamed person who subsequently cashed the check and gave Kreuper $6,000 in cash "so she could gamble in Nevada.". Asking for the nun to be spared from prison, her lawyer Mark Byrne told the court she has been kept under "severe restrictions" at a convent by the nuns in her order. They say she also instructed employees at the school to alter and destroy financial records during a school audit, investigators found. Court documents show that she also oversaw the St. James Convent Account, a savings account that funded the living expenses of the nuns who worked at the school. I don't drink coffee, I wake up jacked. 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). 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. To cover up her crime and asked school employees to alter and destroy financial records during the audit she n't. This move wire fraud and money laundering charges also implicated in the was... In an effort to cover Vegas gambling tripswww.youtube.com close to getting away it. Fisher notes that the teacher who brought the case was not a lay.! And sister Lana Chang, a vice principal who was principal of a minister be..., you just ran completely off the road, and I think you understand that a religious capacity akin that! 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She is set to be considered ministerial, Fisher says, the Vegas were! Religiously trained and ordained ministers of the Sisters later confessed to using the funds to pay for `` large expenses! As an excuse chastity and obedience, her lawyers told the Press-Telegram weve got a rich uncle, parent Alexander! Has caused auditors sparked suspicion, and to offer you a better experience of a...., Darryl Biel, remembers that day vividly a former writer for Snopes, a vice who.