mary margaret kreuper

When it was all over, she had been principal for a total of 28 years, they said. Over the course of the scheme, Kreuper admitted to causing $825,339 in losses to St. James Catholic School. Put simply, anyone who stole over $800,000 from a school would go to prison, your honor, Assistant U.S. Atty. 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.. As soon as she was confronted, she accepted full responsibility for what she had done and she has cooperated fully with law enforcement and the Archdiocese. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. At this point, prosecutors said that she directed her employees to alter and destroy financial records; according to court documents reviewed by Courthouse News, the employees reported her requests to other school administrators instead. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, who took a vow of poverty, begged a judge to show . 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}} The total losses Kreuper caused to St. James Catholic School were $835,339. In the spring of 2014, Kristen Biel had just been diagnosed with breast cancer and needed time off from her teaching job at St. Check out an array of spirituality resources. We, and those who share our charism and mission, are motivated in all things by our profound love of God and our dear neighbors. Your login session has expired. The Torrance Police Department, the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this matter. Wright also said that as someone who had been educated by nuns, "unlike most cases, this one will be a struggle.". She will appear for an arraignment at the United States District Court on July 1. The religious order Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, of which Sr. Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sr. Lana Chang are members, has agreed to a "full restitution" of money used for personal matters by the two women, the letter said. 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. 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. Unfortunately, later in her life she has been suffering from a mental illness that clouded her judgement and caused her to do something that she otherwise would not have done. They declined to go into further detail about any illness their client may have been diagnosed with, according to a report by Daily Breeze. 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. According to legal documents, Kreuper embezzled money from the school over a period of 10 years ending in September 2018. "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 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. I got exactly what I paid for. After charges were filed, her attorneys issued a statement saying she suffered "from mental illness that clouded her judgment.". Sister Lana, her 67-year-old accomplice, worked there for 20 years as. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Police will, however, still follow the case and present their findings to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. I was wrong, and I am profoundly sorry for the pain and the suffering that I have caused so many people, she told Wright. 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.. Kreuper pleaded guilty in July 2021 to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. The embezzlement helped to fuel her gambling habit. However, the nun started diverting the money into secret accounts in 2008 to fund her gambling habits and personal credit card charges. Prosecutors had recommended a 24-month prison sentence, three years of supervised release, and restitution. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 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. "I don't have to worry about b.s. Who is Mary Margaret Kreuper? window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { 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. The archdiocese did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment. eventAction: 'render' The two embezzling sisters are Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang. Chang and Kreuper's scheme was exposed after an internal auditor confirmed the church's suspicions. Shes obviously not employable., Byrne also cited an expert report finding that Kreuper was addicted to gambling. Pursuant to her position and title, Kreuper had legitimate control of the schools money for tuition and fees as well as donations. 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 IE 11 is not supported. You can be proud of that, he said. 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. We seek to build communities and bridge divides between people. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. When an audit threatened to expose the scheme, Kreuper instructed St. James employees to destroy documents. 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. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 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. The family of Joseph includes many more than just the sisters. 'I have sinned, I've broken the law and I . Public Information Officer media-tech companies with hubs around the world. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); St. James Catholic School Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper embezzled $835,339 in the school's tuition, fees, and charitable donations for her personal expenses. Ive broken the law and I have no excuses. "We. Assistant United States Attorney Poonam G Kumar of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting the case. She was the principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance for 28 years. Mary Margaret Kreuper was the principal of the elementary school for 28 years. Sister Mary Margaret became a nun when she turned 18 in 1960 and took a vow of poverty. To know that she had been taking money from my parents and my peers parents the whole time I was there is extremely shocking, and it sways me away from the Catholic Church, she said. 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. Earlier in January this year, former president Donald Trump pardoned Steve Bannon who was facing a federal case when he was charged with defrauding donors of more than a million dollars as part of a fundraising campaign to build the US-Mexico border wall. Urgent needs call us to bold conversation and prophetic action. 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". 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! As part of her efforts to suppress everything, she got school employees to change and destroy financial records during a school audit. ga('ads.send', { 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. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! She said that she falsified monthly and annual reports to cover up her actions to assure the school's administration that its financial assets were in safe hands. At the time of her plea agreement, her attorney, Mark Byrne, suggested another reason in a statement to Courthouse News. 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. She is not allowed to leave the premises without permission and is always required to be accompanied by somebody. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ ga('ads.send', { 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. When confronted by the Archdiocese, she said "her actions were justified because priests were paid more than nuns," the site reported. pg.acq.push(function() { https://t.co/sk6S5pmKk7, She used the money "to pay for expenses that the order would not have approved, much less paid for." The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet are a congregation of Catholic sisters. We pray that in time those impacted will find healing and the seeds of forgiveness. 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. 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.. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. 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. X27 ; ve broken the law and I habits and personal credit charges. Will appear for an arraignment at the time of her efforts to suppress everything, mary margaret kreuper got employees. We seek to build communities and bridge divides between people. a period of 10 years ending in September.... 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