Tech

Troy Priest and Adminisrator Charged With Stealing Nearly $700,000 From Church

April 23, 2014, 3:13 PM by  Allan Lengel

Featured_belczak_5509
Edward Belczak

 

These guys may need to pray, but they'll also need some good attorneys.

Federal authorities on Wednesday announced that suspended Catholic priest  Edward Belczak, 69, and parish administrator Janice Verschuren, 67, had been indicted on charges of stealing nearly $700,000 from St. Thomas More Church in Troy during an eight-year period.

The five-count indictment alleges that between 2004 and 2012, Belczak and Verschuren stole money and diverted funds from St. Thomas More Church and the Archdiocese of Detroit for their personal gain, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a press release.

The two allegedly concealed their criminal acts by creating or verifying false financial reports that were submitted to the Archdiocese, the U.S. Attorney's Office alleges.

The press release states:

The indictment alleges that Belczak, assisted by Verschuren, used the proceeds of their illegal conduct in a number of ways, including:

• Diverting to their own use nearly $500,000 donated or bequeathed by parishioners to St. Thomas More Church,

• Using almost $110,000 stolen from the church to pay closing costs on the sale of Verschuren’s condominium in Palm Beach, Florida, to Belczak,

• Diverting to their personal bank accounts more than $26,000 in commissions paid to St. Thomas More Travel Group, and

• Diverting to themselves more than $33,000 owed to St. Thomas More Church by Diocesan Publications.



Leave a Comment:

Photo Of The Day