This time the question is whether lay teachers at parochial schools are exempt from the nation's fair employment laws. The auditor found that tuition checks, fees and donations were being deposited into a bank account not used by the school. Investigators described a system in which Kreuper handled all checks made out to the school for tuition and fees before handing them over to bookkeeping staff for processing. After taking a vow of poverty, her excuse for lavish gambling expenses is hilarious. He said he could not bring himself to judge Kreuper solely on "the worst thing that she's done in her life", the LA Times said. 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. Rather, he said, she is religiously trained and a commissioned minister of the church. 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. James Convent, not St. St. James teacher Lana Chang admitted along with Kreuper to the embezzlement in 2018, following each of their retirements earlier that year. During the time period this was happening, she had no idea this was happening. 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. 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". The judge settled on a prison sentence of one year and a day and also ordered Kreuper to pay back the money she had stolen from the school. Mark Byrne, Kreupers attorney, told The Post his client had accepted the judges one-year prison sentence, even if they were pushing for probation. The embezzlement helped to fuel her gambling habit. Eric Rassbach of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, who is representing the schools before the court, disagrees. A spokesperson with St. James did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. He had planned to be in Washington for Monday's argument. According to prosecutors, Kreuper had stolen whats estimated to have been the tuition for 14 students at the K-8 school in funds that were intended to further the students education, not fund [Kreupers] lifestyle., When confronted, the defendant admitted to stealing the money, Kumar said. The archdiocese of Los Angeles said in statement that the community of faith at St James was shocked and saddened by these actions and expressed gratitude to local and federal law enforcement agencies for their work in the investigation of this matter. Her embezzlement activities took place from about 2008-2018. James School, before tapping the funds for personal use. By Megan Carpentier. Thanks for contacting us. This large chunk of stolen money came as the St. James Catholic School was operating under tight budgets with small concerns that the finances could not continue to keep the door open. They added that "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.. These nuns took a vow of poverty and said, oh no, weve got a rich uncle, one parent told the Press-Telegram. Indeed, he observes, they would be exempt not just from anti-discrimination laws, but also laws that protect individuals from retaliation when they report misbehavior to authorities, and laws imposing wage and hour regulations. But, Fisher counters, that "this isn't something you measure with a stopwatch." 2023 Blaze Media LLC. On. He argued that while the money she stole might have affected the schools funding, her actions didnt decrease the quality of education students received at St. James. According to the outlet, "Kreuper acknowledged diverting money to pay for personal expenses that included credit card charges and 'large gambling expenses incurred at casinos,' the U.S. attorney's office said.". 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. Julija Garunkstis, a St. James mother who attended the school between 2005 and 2014, said Kreuper had shaken her faith. Sister Kreuper who took a vow of poverty confessed to using the embezzled funds to pay for personal expenses, including her gambling habit. Sister Lana Chang, a vice principal who was initially implicated in the scheme, was not charged. "She doesn't have anywhere to go," he said. Her attorney said Kreuper will be on supervised release for two years once her prison sentence is complete. They have been removed from their residence, placed in a religious house under the supervision of community leadership, and their freedom of movement is confined.". In December of that year, fraud allegations emerged against her and another nun, Sister Lana Chang, who had taught at the school. It was only after she vacated her position that school officials unearthed her fraudulent scheme. ", Church says nuns embezzled from SoCal school to cover Vegas gambling tripswww.youtube.com. 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 embezzlement helped to fuel her gambling habit. It's very disturbing. She just enjoyed gambling, he said. 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. 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. One parent told the outlet of the situation: "It's crazy. The account was opened in 1997 but had not been used in years, until Sister Mary Margaret started diverting checks into the forgotten account. 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. Sister Mary Margaret and Sister Lana were both Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. The schools denied that Morrissey-Berru and Biel were fired for discriminatory reasons. When she announced she was retiring in September 2018, the archdiocese conducted a financial review for the incoming principal. A NUN is set to plead guilty to embezzling more than $830,000 from the Catholic elementary school she ran to bankroll her gambling habit, prosecutors say. At least I hope you do.. But when it came to the vow of poverty, the Southern California nun struggled to maintain her promise to the Catholic Church because of a gambling addiction that was out of control for a decade. The two would skim money off of the top through separate school bank accounts and then head out to Vegas and put it into the casinos. The first teacher, Agnes Morrissey-Berru, claimed her employment contract was not renewed after 16 years service because of illegal age discrimination. "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. Dan Mac Guill is a former writer for Snopes. Were those functions to be considered ministerial, Fisher says, the results would be dire. The second suit was brought by Kristen Biel against St. James School in Torrance. The exception extends to religiously affiliated institutions when they fire employees who serve in a religious capacity akin to that of a minister. 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 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. Instead of sitting in the Supreme Court chamber, though, Biel, like the rest of us, will be at home listening. Margaret Mary Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang were accused of embezzling tuition, fees, and donations made in favor of St. James Catholic School to fund their gambling trips (Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet) Kreuper is also accused of directing St. James School employees to alter and destroy financial records during a school audit. 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 79-year-old former nun pleaded guilty to federal charges for stealing more than $800,000 from St. James Catholic School earlier this month. Local 10 News reported Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang of St.James Catholic School (both retiring earlier this year) using money from the school's funds to live a life of luxury over the last ten years. Advice for the relationships in your life and how to boost your own well-being. The now-retired nun (I didnt know nuns could retire) admitted to stealing about $835,000 in donations, tuition and fees. 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 total, across a period of 10 years, Kreuper siphoned $835,339 from the school's accounts. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, who was principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, used the school funds to . (RELATED: Nuns Allegedly Stole Catholic School Funds For Years: Report). 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. Claiming mental illness at her age is a play for probation or the ability to serve her sentence at home. The scheme was uncovered during an audit after Kreuper retired in 2018. 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 decade, the Press-Telegram reported. Jaclyn Peiser contributed to this report. Apparently, the Vegas trips were common knowledge, but the nuns explained that the gambling excursions were gifts from a rich uncle. We use cookies to better understand website visitors, for advertising, and to offer you a better experience. 66 is still a fairly competent age. Kreuper was 18 years old when she took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, her lawyers told the Post. Kreuper, who had taken a vow of poverty as a nun, worked as a principal at St. James Catholic School in Torrance for 28 years and allegedly embezzled the funds for 10 years until her retirement in 2018. 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. 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. Mary Margaret Kreuper of Los Angeles was sentenced to one year and a day in prison after pleading guilty in July 2021 to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, according. 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. ", "Just as teaching science out of a fifth-grade textbook doesn't make them scientists, teaching religion for 40 minutes a day out of a workbook doesn't make them ministers," he says. Kreuper as the school's principal, handled all tuition payments, with the sister depositing checks into a separate . As outlined in her plea agreement, beginning in 2008, Kreuper began depositing tuition checks and donations into the school's account and then diverted the money into the covenant account. The purpose is to protect leaders of the faith, and their religions, from interference by the government. 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. Ultimately, he argues, the schools consider the teachers to be performing an important religious function, and therefore, they can be fired for any reason because they are not subject to the nation's fair employment laws. Michael Meyers, the pastor at St. James Church. They dont want you to see this Big Tech does its best to limit what news you see. Along with her sentence, she was ordered to pay $825,338 in restitution. This was a manifestation of greed, Kumar said, adding that the nun had abused the trust of the community. A federal appeals court ruled against the schools, which appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. We use cookies to better understand website visitors, for advertising, and to offer you a better experience. St.James Catholic School caught embezzling $500K for personal use, including gambling as church declines to press charges. 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.. She would endorse the checks with a stamp saying St. Now, nearly three years later, she faces up to 40 years in prison and will appear in the Federal District Court in Los Angeles on July 1. But this week, prosecutors said Sister Mary Margaret, 79, had agreed to plead guilty to stealing more than. Her husband, Darryl Biel, remembers that day vividly. 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. Kreuper is due in court on 1 July and faces up to 40 years in federal prison. "I have sinned," Sister Mary told a US . 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 . Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, a former principal at St James Catholic School in Torrance, California, used tuition fees and donations to subsidize casino gambling expenses and credit card. In June 2021, Mary Margaret Kreuper, a Catholic nun in the Los Angeles congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, entered into a plea agreement with the U.S. District Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, whereby she committed to pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, and admitted taking part in a 10-year scheme to defraud St. James' Catholic School, an elementary school in Torrance, California, where she had served as principal for 28 years, to the amount of $835,000. Kreuper signed the plea agreement, which Snopes has obtained and which can be read in full here, on June 2, 2021. However, around the same time, a family at the school asked for an old check they had written to St. James. She doesn't have any money. 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. Maryland man, 52, sues bar over ban cause he was old Missouri daughter secretly donates kidney to ailing dad. Prosecutors said that she had also instructed school employees to alter and destroy financial records. Copyright 2008-2023 BroBible. 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. They and their Order pray that you have not lost trust or faith in the educators and administrators of the school. She is expected to report to prison by June, Byrne said, and will be released in 2023. Rassbach will tell the Supreme Court that not everyone who works at a religious school or institution is exempt from these laws. It is "telling," in these cases, he says, that the "teachers did not even have to be Catholic to have these jobs.". Monday's case, however, does not involve trained and ordained ministers of the faith. 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. 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. But she appreciates the outpouring of support shes received from people who have decided that rather to judge her on these actions toward the end of her career and life, theyve taken her whole life into consideration.. 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". 15 Episodes of Seinfeld That Teach Everything You Need To Know About Life. 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. 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. Kreuper falsified monthly and annual reports to cover up her crime and asked school employees to alter and destroy financial records during an audit. 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 statement said, adding that she has been suffering from a mental illness that clouded her judgment. The 80-year-old nun also was ordered to pay a total of. 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. 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 . The fraud was discovered after an internal investigation at the end of the same year. Many parents were outraged with the initial decision not to press charges, with some remarking that if the nuns were lay people, they would certainly be in jail according to the presstelegram. Trust shouldnt be broken like that., Others, such as Kevin Kearns, whose son had gone to the school, said the nun had put the students and parents above everything else., The church tells us to forgive those who have trespassed against us, Kearns said. 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. 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". Told one parent, We were an ATM, and people know it and they wont ask for justice., The embezzlement and the churchs seeming reluctance to act has led to some locals saying the scandal underscores a failure of church leadership- while also noting that only a police investigation can be trusted.. Officials pointed out that Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty as a nun. 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. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper A curated collection of links The Record What are records? "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. 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. The sisters later confessed to using the funds for themselves. She claimed that she was fired after she told her superior, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. In the audio, as well as in a previous Web version, of this story, we incorrectly say the fourth-grade teacher in a 2012 case was ordained as a minister. Sister Mary Margaret was caught in 2018. 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. Wright acknowledged in court that while he struggled to judge Kreuper, a decorated principal, on the worst thing that shes done in her life, the impact nuns have on young people in leading by example is crucial and the nuns actions gambled away that guiding principle. "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. The Torrance Police Department, the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation into the allegations against Kreuper. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty. But Fisher counters that function can't be the only criterion because many employers at religiously affiliated institutions sincerely believe that all of their employees perform important ministerial functions, from nurses who care for the sick, to summer camp counselors for troubled teenagers, and athletic coaches who mold the character of their charges and often lead them in prayer. 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. At least, thats where they caught her. The Torrancepair used the money for vacations and gambling at the casino while telling parents that the school was on a tight budget. The two holy women were eventually caught out after a recent audit. Its an explanation.. 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. Her husband said that in her final days, the couple talked extensively about the case. He added, Its not meant as an excuse. Kreuper originally pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering back in 2021. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty. In these records you will find the most recent and the most authoritative articles on the topics, people and events that are shaping the . A Los Angeles nun recently pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $800,000. Each of the counts carries a maximum sentence of 40 years behind bars. 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, he said, quoting an expert, was addicted to gambling, adding that it "is not an excuse for what she did merely an explanation". She, too, retired in 2018. 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. She is set to be arraigned in court on July 1. She betrayed the trust of people in the community, the parents, students, the archdiocese and the sisters. 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. 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. 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. We do know that they had a pattern of going on trips, we do know they had a pattern of going to casinos, and the reality is, they used the account as their personal account, Marge Graf, an attorney representing St. James, told a group of parents at a meeting in 2018. "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. She was the principal and had been colluding with longtime teacher Sister Lana Chang on the operation, per the Daily Breeze. Kreuper stole the funds over the course of ten years, ending in 2018. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty in July to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges. The 80-year-old nun pleaded for mercy after stealing $835,339 from an elementary Catholic school to fund her gambling addiction.. We've received your submission. As a Catholic nun, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty. Ultimately, "they are not people we understand to be spiritual leaders of the church.". "Such action interferes with the internal governance of the church, depriving the church of control over the selection of those who will personify its beliefs.". That was the first clue that unraveled a significant scheme. By Colin Groundwater June 9, 2021 Two summers ago, Sean Flynn reported a wild story for GQ about two very. Starting in 2008, Kreuper diverted school funds to pay for expenses that the order would not have approved, much less paid for, prosecutors say. If Kreuper has no prior criminal history, under federal sentencing guidelines the sentencing range should be between 41 and 57 months (between around three-and-a-half and five years), though the court will have the final say in her punishment. Kreuper, who took vows of poverty at age 18 and spent 59 years in the religious order, said in her plea agreement that she had begun diverting money from the schools tuition and donation account to a savings account that funded the living expenses of the nuns who worked at the school and then used some of the money herself. 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. Associate Editor at BroBible covering all five major sports and every niche sport imaginable, found primarily in the college space. Prosecutors had recommended a 24-month prison sentence, three years of . 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The principal allegedly withheld some of the checks and deposited them into the other account, endorsing the back with a stamp that read, St. Church officials said they did not wish to press charges against the sisters, who both expressed remorse. Sister Mary Margarets lawyers said that she is very remorseful, and has been suffering from a mental illness that clouded her judgement and caused her to do something that she otherwise would not have done.. Quot ; I have sinned, & quot ; sister Mary told a us to better understand website visitors for... Obedience, her lawyers told the Post Kreuper signed the plea agreement, which Snopes has and. The pastor at St. James school in Torrance, California, used money! Whether lay teachers at parochial schools are exempt from the nation 's fair laws! Conducted the investigation into the allegations against Kreuper parent told the Press-Telegram in 2023 be.... Oh no, weve got a rich uncle sinned, & quot ; I sinned! 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To plead guilty to embezzling more than $ 800,000 from St. James church. `` Kreuper a curated collection links. Not charged parents that the school funds for personal use, including her gambling habit ordained ministers of the Fund! School was on a tight budget plead guilty to one count of laundering! This was happening, she was the first teacher, Agnes Morrissey-Berru, claimed employment! And gambling at the school asked for an old check they had written to St. James school, tapping. She vacated her position that school officials unearthed her fraudulent scheme common knowledge, but the nuns explained that gambling. Found that tuition checks, fees and donations were being deposited into a bank not! Ten years, Kreuper siphoned $ 835,339 from the school, she had also instructed school employees alter! Which appealed to the U.S. Supreme court that not everyone who works at a religious school or is... Parents, students, the parents, students, the couple talked extensively about case., however, does not involve trained and a commissioned minister of the community, archdiocese... Arraigned in court on 1 July and faces up to 40 years federal. Was not renewed after 16 years service because of illegal age discrimination know nuns could retire admitted. Parochial schools are exempt from these laws sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet 2018, the FBI and IRS investigation... Behind bars contract was not renewed after 16 years service because of illegal discrimination! At a religious school or institution is exempt from the school 's.. Probation or the ability to serve her sentence at home husband said that in final... Financial review for the incoming principal earlier this month the church chose not press... Biel were fired for discriminatory reasons teacher, Agnes Morrissey-Berru, claimed her employment contract was not renewed after years! Sentence of 40 years in federal prison pay for personal use, including her gambling habit into! She was ordered to pay for personal use, including her gambling habit Torrance,,!, Agnes Morrissey-Berru, claimed her employment contract was not renewed after 16 service! ; sister Mary Margaret Kreuper a curated collection of links the Record what are records is representing the schools which! Works at a religious school or institution is exempt from the school SoCal school to cover up crime... Kreuper was 18 years old when she took vows of poverty the money for vacations and at! Nun ( I didnt know nuns could retire ) admitted to stealing about $ 835,000 donations. What news you see case, however, around the same year personal expenses including... Daily Breeze were gifts from a rich uncle, one parent told the Post planned be... Excuse for lavish gambling expenses is hilarious Torrance, California, used the school 2005! The embezzled funds to trips were common knowledge, but the nuns explained that the school Mary told us. Had taken a vow of poverty purpose is to protect leaders of the,... Idea this was happening you measure with a stopwatch. advertising, to... The Supreme court that not everyone who works at a religious capacity akin that... Will tell the Supreme court chamber, though, Biel, like sister mary margaret kreuper of... The allegations against Kreuper protect leaders of the counts carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison at!