I have sinned, Kreuper said during a Monday teleconference, according to The New York Daily News. 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 fraud for embezzling nearly $835,000 from school funds. Kreuper agreed to both charges which carry a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in federal prison. 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 for allegedly embezzling $835,000 while she was the. ", She also admitted in the plea agreement to falsifying monthly and annual reports to the school's administration to cover up the fraudulent conduct and "lulled 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, in turn, allowed defendant Kreuper to maintain her access and control of the school's finances and accounts and, thus, continue operating the fraudulent scheme.". Track SoCal rain with LIVE Megadoppler 7000 HD. eventAction: 'click_adunit' She was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison in addition to . She must also pay $825,338 in restitution, covering most of the losses of $835,339 from St. James Catholic School in the Arlington Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. First published on June 8, 2021 / 8:30 PM. Now Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, is set to spend a year and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release. Since our first sisters gathered in 1650, our members have been called to do all things of which women are capable. Today, we commit to respond boldly to injustice and dare to be prophetic. }); Kreuper was sentenced to one year in prison Monday and told to pay back the money. Meyers said during the meeting that around that same time a family who gave money to the school requested a copy of the check, and staff noticed that the check had been deposited into an account not associated with the school. 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. hitType: 'event', 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. Officials with the archdiocese alleged the nuns spent some of the money on personal trips and gambling, the Press-Telegram reported. 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. Today, she has been held accountable by the United States criminal justice system. ", Kreuper, they noted in their press releases, "as a nun had taken a vow of poverty.". United States Attorneys Office }) if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ Her plea agreement from June 8 with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said the 79-year-old had diverted funds into the St. James Convent Account and the St. James Savings Account. At the same time, prosecutors filed a plea agreement in which Kreuper agreed to plead guilty to the two charges, which carry a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in federal prison. In a series of deeply personal remarks from the bench, Wright, 77, a Marine veteran and former deputy sheriff who has served as a federal judge for 15 years, said he owed where I am today in large part to a nun who inspired him early in life. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Emailus. The archdiocese did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment. Kreuper is also accused of directing St. James employees to alter and destroy financial records during a school audit. Assistant United States Attorney Poonam G Kumar of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting the case. They and their order pray that you have not lost trust or faith in the educators and administrators of the school. 312 North Spring Street In private letters to Wright and remarks at the video hearing, some former St. James students asked him to put the nun behind bars. They both retired at the end of this past school year, shortly before St. James Catholic Church in Redondo Beach was made aware of the alleged embezzlement happening at its school. California nun, 79, to admit to stealing $835K from school funds. 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. 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. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, admitted stealing $835,000 while principal of an LA-area school. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); They also urged Wright to keep in mind that her status as a nun helped her evade detection. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. 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. In the spring of 2014, Kristen Biel had just been diagnosed with breast cancer and needed time off from her teaching job at St. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II has set sentencing for February 7, 2022, when he would expect her to make a statement. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Author of the article: Sister Mary Margaret became a nun when she turned 18 in 1960 and took a vow of poverty. "Unfortunately, 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. 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. Our community is concerned and saddened by this situation and regret any injury to our long relationship with the families of the school. She has agreed to plead guilty to the charges for embezzling more than $835,000 from the funds of St. James Catholic School where she served as principal a couple of years ago, to pay for her personal expenses. Kreuper controlled accounts at a credit union, including a savings account for the school and one established to pay the . Police will, however, still follow the case and present their findings to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Chang was a teacher for about 20 years and also recently served as vice principal. pg.acq.push(function() { Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, of Los Angeles, was sentenced Monday to one year and one day for fraud and money laundering charges. Public Information Officer IE 11 is not supported. 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. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, was charged Tuesday with one count each of wire fraud and money laundering. Mary Margaret Kreuper, of Los Angeles, was the principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance for 28 years. The Los Angeles Times reports Mary Margaret Kreuper, former principal of St. James Catholic School, was facing 40 years in prison but was sentenced to a year and a day on Monday. "They were just such staunch defenders of moral fortitude, they were really tough on the kids," she said. 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. 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. A nun is pictured at Vatican's Gregorian University. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, was charged today with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Your login session has expired. Though the statutory maximum on those two charges was 40 years, prosecutors asked that she serve two, according to Courthouse News, and the judge in the case sentenced the senior citizen to just 12 months. My son got the best education possible, in fact, I probably wouldve paid double the tuition rate in order for my son to attend St. James.. Prosecutors alleged that she was also responsible for controlling credit union accounts, including a savings account for the school and another account to pay the living expenses of nuns hired by the institution. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { The systems that were set up were dividing people, so nobody knew what was happening, he said at the meeting. I dont feel that Im a victim in this case, he said. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. hitType: 'event', The nun served as the principal of the elementary school for nearly 28 years until her retirement in 2018. She was the principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance for 28 years. Mary Margaret Kreuper had been principal at St. James Catholic School, where Sr. Lana Chang had been a teacher. '', U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II said at last year's plea hearing that he was raised as a Roman Catholic, "and was educated by nuns. 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. Have a tip we should know? 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. 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. She pleaded guilty last July . At least I hope you do.. By Megan Carpentier The St. James Catholic Church school in Torrance, California, on February 7, 2022. Central District of California (Los Angeles) 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. Concerned and saddened by this situation and regret any injury to our long relationship with the families of the and. 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