mary margaret kreuperstonebrook neighborhood
She pleaded guilty last July . As a Catholic nun, Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty. Kreuper, who was principal at the elementary school for 28 years, was responsible for the money the school received to pay for tuition and fees as well as charitable donations. Kreuper's crimes occurred during her role as the school's principal, a position from which she retired in 2018. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! "I don't have to worry about b.s. St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, was charged today with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. The St. James Catholic Church school in Torrance, California, on February 7, 2022. Officials said she would alter the checks by endorsing them with a stamp that read "St. James Convent" instead of "St. James School.". ", Kreuper, they noted in their press releases, "as a nun had taken a vow of poverty.". In conjunction with the criminal information, prosecutors filed a plea . 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. The family of Joseph includes many more than just the sisters. I dont feel that Im a victim in this case, he said. Love of God is at the heart of our charism. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. He previously covered state and national politics, including the 2020 presidential campaign. }); She was the principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance for 28 years. Please logout and login again. Defense attorneys said Kreuper became a nun when she was 18 years old, and for the next 59 years "dedicated her life to helping others and educating children in Archdiocesan schools. 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. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, admitted to stealing the money from 2008 to 2018 while she was principal at St. James Catholic School in the LA suburb of Torrance. Mary Margaret Kreuper was the principal of the elementary school 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. hitType: 'event', MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. Kreuper also falsified the school's monthly and yearly financial reports to hide her embezzlement and, when questioned by parents about the school's resources, told them "there was no money for an awning at school and no money for field trips," prosecutors said. A lock ( Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, agreed last month to plead guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Suite 1200 Prosecutors told the judge Kreuper deserved prison time for stealing parents checks to the school over and over and over again for a decade, then ordering staff to destroy records in a coverup. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. The archdiocese did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment. We seek to build communities and bridge divides between people. Kreuper promised to follow more closely in Christs footsteps and spend the rest of her life trying to make amends. Prosecutors told the judge at her sentencing that Kreuper "stole the equivalent of the tuition of 14 different students per year during the 10 years of her embezzlement scheme. On screen in one of the Zoom windows were five fellow nuns from her order, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Trust shouldnt be broken like that., Kevin Kearns, who met Kreuper in 2011 when he enrolled his son in kindergarten at St. James, asked Wright to show leniency, saying she put the students and parents above everything else., The church tells us to forgive those who have trespassed against us, Kearns said. Parent and former school secretaryCheryl Hugo reportedly called Kreupers actions an abuse of power in every possible way.. The embezzlement helped to fuel her gambling habit. As part of her role as the head of the institution, Kreuper oversaw all funds the school received for tuition fees and charitable donations. We also deeply value relationships. California nun, 79, to admit to stealing $835K from school funds. 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. They also urged Wright to keep in mind that her status as a nun helped her evade detection. When it was all over, she had been principal for a total of 28 years, they said. The investigation into this matter is being conducted by the Torrance Police Department, the FBI, and IRS Criminal Investigation. 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, according to the US Attorney's Office, California. Assistant US Attorney Poonam Kumar told The New York Post that Kreuper even asked parents to donate more money in addition to their $6,000 annual fees. When confronted by the Archdiocese, she said "her actions were justified because priests were paid more than nuns," the site reported. She even attempted to destroy documents when an audit nearly exposed her arrangement. 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.. }); In conjunction with the criminal information, prosecutors filed a plea agreement in which Kreuper agreed to plead guilty to the two charges that 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. 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. 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.. Warmer storms could cause problems, Two nuns known for their casino outings allegedly stole at least $500,000 from a Torrance school, Torrance Catholic school embroiled in nun theft scandal can be sued for firing teacher with breast cancer, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Im visiting all 600 L.A. spots on the National Register. 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. 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. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, was charged Tuesday with one count each of wire fraud and money laundering. 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. was part of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet order, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Public Information Officer Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, was also ordered to pay $825,338 in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. I apologize for the public scandal, the embarrassment and the financial burden that I have placed on the sisters in my religious community, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, St. James School, the parishioners, parents and students who placed their trust in me.. This is merely an explanation.. ga('ads.send', { 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.. Chang and Kreuper's scheme was exposed after an internal auditor confirmed the church's suspicions. 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. 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. It turns out that at the time Kristen Biel learned she had breast cancer, Kreuper, the school principal who fired her, was embezzling large amounts of money to go on gambling sprees in Las Vegas.. Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper had taken a vow of poverty 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.Sister Kreuper who took a vow of poverty confessed to using the . 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. eventAction: 'render' Bank records show Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Chang had been embezzling funds from St. James Catholic School in Torrance for at least a decade, the Press-Telegram reported. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Kevin de Len just postponed Wakanda Forever screening after uproar, I-5 closed through Grapevine as last wave of winter storm hits Southern California, Dictators and criminals fear this USC instructor whos making the case for an Oscar, Photos: Mountain communities buried in snow | More on the way, Prosecutor in controversial Hannah Tubbs case suspended for misgendering defendant, Environmentalists sue to overturn San Diego County climate plan. I have sinned, Kreuper said during a Monday teleconference, according to The New York Daily News. The total losses Kreuper caused to St. James Catholic School were $835,339. The Torrance Police Department, the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this matter. Lock 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. 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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's embezzlement is nothing like what goes in the political circles of the country. 312 North Spring Street Prosecutors had recommended a 24-month prison sentence, three years of supervised release, and restitution. Sister Mary Margaret, 77, was a pillar of the community who spent 29 years as the principal of St. James Catholic School. For 10 years until September 2018, prosecutors say she bilked the facility for money. 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. When an audit threatened to expose the scheme, Kreuper instructed St. James employees to destroy documents. eventAction: 'load' Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, of Los Angeles, entered her plea to wire fraud and money laundering charges, which . }); 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. 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 also directed St. James School employees to alter and destroy financial records during a school audit. In the spring of 2014, Kristen Biel had just been diagnosed with breast cancer and needed time off from her teaching job at St. ga('ads.send', { Mark Byrne, Kreupers attorney, acknowledged that Kreuper abused her trust, but called on Wright to sentence her to probation. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. You can be proud of that, he said. As the school's principal, she was responsible for managing money received by the. },false) Mary Margaret Kreuper was the principal of the elementary school for 28 years. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. SisterMary Margaret Kreuper, 80, was sentenced on Monday to 12 months and one day in federal prison byU.S. District Judge Otis D. 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