mary margaret kreuper

Our congregation was founded in St. Louis in 1836, and since then we have formed additional communities and provinces around the world. Sisters of St. Joseph of CarondeletFebruary 7, 2022February 14, 2022. Federal authorities charged 79-year-old Mary Margaret Kreuper with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering for her role in the scheme while principal of St. James Catholic School . 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}} 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. }) Copyright 2023 by City News Service, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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, said Wright, who fell silent and covered his face in his hands for a long pause during his pronouncement of the sentence. Now Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, is set to spend a year and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release. eventAction: 'click_adunit' Despite her vow of poverty, a California nun embezzled funds from the Roman Catholic school she ran in order to fund her gambling habit, according to federal prosecutors. Have a tip or story idea? Sister Mary took responsibility for her actions by pleading guilty. 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. Kreuper controlled accounts at a credit union, including a savings account for the school and one established to pay the living expenses of the nuns employed by the school, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement. Kreuper was principal at the school for 29 years. According to authorities, she spent 10 years embezzling money from St. James Catholic School where she served as principal. 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. [emailprotected]. Chang was a teacher for about 20 years and also recently served as vice principal. https://t.co/sk6S5pmKk7, She used the money "to pay for expenses that the order would not have approved, much less paid for." According to legal documents, Kreuper embezzled money from the school over a period of 10 years ending in September 2018. Check out an array of spirituality resources. It said the parish, school and the Archdiocese: "Reported the matter and fully cooperated with authorities in the criminal investigation," adding: "We continue to offer our prayers for all impacted by this matter," CBS 9 reported. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty in July to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges. And I don't look at nuns as ordinary people. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. 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. The Torrance Police Department, the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this matter. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ In July, she pleaded guilty to one count each of. 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. }); 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.. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, was charged Tuesday with one count each of wire fraud and money laundering. (213) 894-4465. 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. }) eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), First published on June 8, 2021 / 8:30 PM. Kreuper controlled accounts at a credit union, including a savings account for the school and one established to pay the . READ ALSO | 2 nuns accused of embezzling 'substantial' amount from Catholic school in Torrance. Michael Finnegan is a Los Angeles Times reporter covering federal courts and law enforcement. These funds were intended to further the students education, not fund [Kreupers] lifestyle. Assistant United States Attorney Poonam G Kumar of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting the case. 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. The now-retired nun, Mary Margaret Kreuper,. Kreuper allegedly held on to some of the checks and deposited them into a separate bank account than the one used by the school. 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. The retired principal of a Catholic elementary school in Torrance, who as a nun took a vow of poverty, pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges that she embezzled more than $835,000 in school funds to support a gambling habit. 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. But. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. Mary Margaret Kreuper was so close to getting away with it. ga('ads.send', { 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. 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. let gads_event; 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. "Unfortunately, later in her life she has been suffering from mental illness that clouded her judgment and caused her to do something that she otherwise would not have done," read the statement, which was carried by media outlets, "She is very sorry for any harm she has caused. In a memo to the judge, prosecutors cited letters from parents and students, including one from a 12-year-old saying Kreuper was just like any other robber.. At about $83,000 a year, the amount matches the tuition of 14 students a year, prosecutors said. The lawyers also mentioned that the nun was suffering from a mental illness that clouded her judgment and caused her to do something that she otherwise would not have done. They noted that she was remorseful and very sorry for any harm she has caused., Attorney Kumar also shared that during her confrontation Kreuper mentioned that she embezzled money partly because she believed priests get paid better than nuns.. 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. A Los Angeles nun jailed for stealing more than $800,000 to fund a gambling habit has admitted "I have sinned". 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. Central District of California (Los Angeles) 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. Meyers said he then notified the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, who in turn hired an independent forensic auditor to perform a review. 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. She called her crimes a violation of my vows, the commandments, the law, and above all the sacred trust that so many had placed in me.. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, admitted stealing $835,000 while principal of an LA-area school. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, is seen in this undated photo. By Colin Groundwater June 9, 2021 Two summers ago, Sean Flynn reported a wild story for GQ about two very. In a letter addressed to parents and parishioners, he wrote, "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. 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. Track SoCal rain with LIVE Megadoppler 7000 HD. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), We, and those who share our charism and mission, are motivated in all things by our profound love of God and our dear neighbors. 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.. Today, we commit to respond boldly to injustice and dare to be prophetic. 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. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Myers said both the nuns had confessed to their crimes. }); But somewhere along the line, you just ran completely off the road, and I think you understand that. eventAction: 'click_ads' 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. Mark Byrne, Kreupers attorney, acknowledged that Kreuper abused her trust, but called on Wright to sentence her to probation. Kreuper promised to follow more closely in Christs footsteps and spend the rest of her life trying to make amends. pg.acq.push(function() { ga('ads.send', { Chang and Kreuper's scheme was exposed after an internal auditor confirmed the church's suspicions. }); 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, 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. Kreuper agreed to both charges which carry a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in federal prison. 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. eventAction: 'view' 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, from Los Angeles faces up to 40 years in federal prison for embezzling funds for over 10 years from St. James Catholic School in Torrance.. 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. Prior to her sentencing, the nun had already been placed under several restrictions by the order of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. The nun has also been asked to pay a total of $825,338 in restitution to St. James Catholic School. Minyvonne Burkeis a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty in July to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges. 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 in prison on Monday. In private letters to Wright and remarks at the video hearing, some former St. James students asked him to put the nun behind bars. At least I hope you do.. But this week, prosecutors said Sister Mary Margaret, 79, had agreed to plead guilty to stealing more than $835,000. Prosecutors had recommended a 24-month prison sentence, three years of. The family of Joseph includes many more than just the sisters. When an audit threatened to expose the scheme, Kreuper instructed St. James employees to destroy documents. 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. United States Attorneys Office Emailus. U.S. District Judge Otis D . Parent and former school secretaryCheryl Hugo reportedly called Kreupers actions an abuse of power in every possible way.. Following Mondays hearing Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper was released under her own recognizance and is required to turn herself in to the Federal Bureau of Prisons by June 7, 2022. 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.. '', 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. A locked padlock 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. She was the principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance for 28 years. After reviewing all the letters, Wright said, it appeared most families had forgiven Kreuper. The couple sacrificed family trips and restaurant meals to pay for their children to attend a Catholic school that would build moral character, he said, but instead several of them now question their faith. We seek to build communities and bridge divides between people. She diverted tuition to a secret account, which she used to fund casino trips, prosecutors said. Kreuper's crimes occurred during her role as the school's principal, a position from which she retired in 2018. 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. , 80, of Los Angeles Times reporter covering federal courts and law enforcement communities and divides!, Sean Flynn reported a wild story for GQ about Two very school in Torrance both the nuns confessed... 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