A former charter school principal could face decades in prison after being charged with embezzling $5,000 of federal money from the institution, federal officials said.
Noel Rodriguez, 55, who now lives in Raleigh, N.C., was indicted Nov. 22 on four counts of federal program theft, accused of taking money or property from 2011 to 2014 when he was principal of the Academy of Dover Charter School, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for Delaware. His case was unsealed Wednesday, and federal officials announced the indictment Thursday.
During that time, the school received more than $10,000 in money annually from the U.S. Department of Education, the office said. He embezzled a portion of that money each year, which eventually added up to $5,000.
On each count, the former Dover resident faces up to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release, in addition to possible fines and restitution, the office said.
Trump's school choice proposal a 'mandate' that was 'never talked about'
Rodriguez, who left the school in 2014, used school cash to make $127,866 in personal purchases, reimbursed employees for buying alcohol and other barred items, paid legal fees for a sexual harassment lawsuit and gave arbitrary bonuses to teachers, according to a report that State Auditor Tom Wagner's office issued last year.
His case is being investigated by the FBI, the federal Education Department's Inspector General's Office and the Delaware Attorney General’s Office.
Other charter schools also have been victims of embezzlement. Among them:
• In November, former charter school administrator Sean Moore pleaded guilty to embezzling $161,871 from the Family Foundations Academy in New Castle, Del., according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for Delaware.
• In October, the founder of an Atlanta charter school was indicted in connection with a theft of more than $800,000 from the school he founded. The former head Latin Academy Charter School, Christopher Clemons, was indicted on 48 counts including theft and forgery, the largest accusation in Georgia charter school history, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
• In July, a federal grand jury in Houston returned a 19-count indictment against the founding superintendent of The Varnett Public School charter school and her husband, alleging charges of conspiracy, mail fraud, tax evasion and obstruction of justice, Marian Annette Cluff and Alsie Cluff Jr. The couple is accused of embezzling more than $2.6 million, according to the FBI.
And in 2015, Benita Dinkins-Robinson of Bishopville, S.C., was sentenced to 42 months in prison and ordered her to pay more than $1.5 million in restitution after embezzling from Mary L. Dinkins Higher Learning Academy in Bishopville while she was executive director, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for South Carolina.
Charter schools are public schools and receive public tax dollars, but independent boards and sometimes for-profit private companies run them. Students have to take standardized tests to measure achievement as public school students do.
Delaware, a state with about 950,000 residents, has 28 charter schools, according to the Delaware Department of Education. It has almost 200 other public schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Showing posts with label Delaware. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Delaware. Show all posts
Friday, January 6, 2017
Sunday, January 1, 2017
New Castle charter school administrator invovled in $161K embezzlement scandal
As a part of an ongoing investigation that started last year, a Family Foundations Academy administrator pleaded guilty to the embezzlement of over $161,000 from the charter school. “Sean Moore, 43, entered the plea to three counts of federal program theft before U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews,” the News Journal reported. “He is facing a maximum of 30 years in prison when he is sentenced in March.”
Last year, WDEL reported that the investigation had begun at the New Castle school:
The school made haste to take appropriate action once the news was released, according to the News Journal report.
WDEL has an itemized breakdown of the questionable purchases made by Moore, some of which included Mercedes Benz payments, a $3,000 laptop and tickets to WWE and Alicia Keys events.
While charter schools in Delaware have had their troubles this year, namely with the Delaware STEM Academy’s misfortunes, they’ve also had successes in the past.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Delaware State University dean had criminal record
According to published reports Tuesday, a Delaware State University dean who resigned last week has a felony criminal record and convictions for forgery, embezzlement, and passport fraud.
The News Journal reported that the criminal background of Dr. Frederick “Freddie” Asinor — DSU’s former dean of the College of Education, Health and Public Policy — included forgery and embezzlement crimes committed while working at Clemson University.
As was the case last week after the Delaware State News reported Dr. Asinor had resigned, the school said Tuesday that president Dr. Harry L. Williams and Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Alton Thompson would not comment on the matter.
Court records showed that Freddie Asinor pleaded guilty to breach of trust, forgery, and embezzlement of public funds on March 21, 1991 in Pickens County (S.C.) 13th Judicial Circuit. The arrest date was listed in papers as July 12, 1990.
On Tuesday morning, a DSU spokesman said that Dr. Asinor’s resume presented to the school mentioned nothing about Clemson University.
Clemson University said Freddie Asinor was hired at the South Carolina college on June 1, 1989 and retired on July 20, 1990, according to state system records. The position listed for him at the time of retirement was “Director of Academic Special Projects,” school spokeswoman Robin Denny said.
Citing the matter as a personnel issue, Carlos Holmes said DSU would not comment on the circumstances of Dr. Asinor’s resignation, which came just less than a year into his tenure.
Attempts to reach Dr. Asinor for comment on Tuesday were unsuccessful; similar tries last week in the immediate aftermath of his July 10 resignation were also made.
Mr. Holmes said DSU conducts background checks on potential employee’s criminal, work and education histories. The criminal checks are contracted to an outside business, while education and work history checks are conducted by search committees and the Provost’s office.
“We wouldn’t knowingly hire a felon,” Mr. Holmes said.
On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for Gov. Jack A. Markell offered a statement when asked for a response regarding the news of Dr. Asinor’s departure. The governor appoints part of the DSU Board of Trustees for fixed terms, which assures the independence of the board, but has no involvement in personnel issues at the university, Catherine L. Rossi said.
“The governor has no direct involvement in personnel issues at the university but hopes that, if mistakes have been made, the organization and its leaders learn from them and work to prevent them in the future,” Ms. Rossi said.
In 2008, Freddie Adjei Asinor was sentenced to two years probation after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court for making false statements on a United States Passport application. The plea was entered on Sept. 28, 2007, court records said.
In a press release issued in 2008, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire said Dr. Asinor was a citizen of Ghana when he falsely stated his date and place of birth on a passport application in February 2004; he also fraudulently claimed to be a United States citizen, authorities said.
The case was prosecuted as part of Operation Checkmate, which the U.S. AG’s Office said in a press release was designed to eliminate passport fraud, and “thereby reduce identity theft while securing the nation’s borders.”
Recent work history
Dr. Asinor began overseeing DSU’s nearly 1,300-student, 46-faculty and staff academic department on Aug. 13, 2012.
The college Dr. Asinor oversaw includes DSU’s Education, Nursing, Public and Allied Health and Social Work departments. The school said earlier that interim leadership would be appointed and the search for a full-time replacement was forthcoming.
Dr. Asinor came to DSU after serving as a part-time executive director of the Ocular Melanoma Foundation in Washington D.C., the school said in a press release announcing his arrival. His LinkedIn account indicated the stint ran from November 2011 to February 2012.
Prior to that he was executive vice president of the One World Foundation in Burtonsville, Md., and president and chief academic officer of MASA Healthcare in Owings Mills, Md., DSU’s release said.
On a LinkedIn account describing his role as an administrator, Dr. Asinor included:
“As the chief academic officer of the College, I play a critical role in the University’s strategic planning for the College of Education, Health and Public Service.
“I spearhead the transformative nature of this critical unit, build upon the University’s strong culture of interdisciplinary research and enhance the commitment to academic excellence.
“My ability to foster and communicate a clear vision and carry out the mission of the College in cooperation with the mission of the College in cooperation with members of the faculty is my highest priority.
“As the Dean … I also develop a focused and innovative academic plan for the College consistent with the University’s strategic vision and function in a team environment to effectively communicate with all constituencies of the University.”
Delaware State University officials say the school is reviewing its hiring practices and auditing financial records from the tenure of a former dean who has embezzlement and forgery convictions.
DSU made the announcement Thursday after it was revealed that Freddie Asinor, who resigned last week as dean of the College of Education, Health and Public Policy, had a previously undetected criminal record.
Court records show that Asinor pleaded guilty to forgery and embezzlement, stemming from crimes committed while he worked at Clemson University. In a separate case, Asinor pleaded guilty to making false statements on a passport application. Prosecutors said the Ghana native falsely claimed he was born in Connecticut to get a U.S. passport.
The university also announced that Marsha Horton will serve as interim dean.
The News Journal reported that the criminal background of Dr. Frederick “Freddie” Asinor — DSU’s former dean of the College of Education, Health and Public Policy — included forgery and embezzlement crimes committed while working at Clemson University.
As was the case last week after the Delaware State News reported Dr. Asinor had resigned, the school said Tuesday that president Dr. Harry L. Williams and Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Alton Thompson would not comment on the matter.
Court records showed that Freddie Asinor pleaded guilty to breach of trust, forgery, and embezzlement of public funds on March 21, 1991 in Pickens County (S.C.) 13th Judicial Circuit. The arrest date was listed in papers as July 12, 1990.
On Tuesday morning, a DSU spokesman said that Dr. Asinor’s resume presented to the school mentioned nothing about Clemson University.
Clemson University said Freddie Asinor was hired at the South Carolina college on June 1, 1989 and retired on July 20, 1990, according to state system records. The position listed for him at the time of retirement was “Director of Academic Special Projects,” school spokeswoman Robin Denny said.
Citing the matter as a personnel issue, Carlos Holmes said DSU would not comment on the circumstances of Dr. Asinor’s resignation, which came just less than a year into his tenure.
Attempts to reach Dr. Asinor for comment on Tuesday were unsuccessful; similar tries last week in the immediate aftermath of his July 10 resignation were also made.
Mr. Holmes said DSU conducts background checks on potential employee’s criminal, work and education histories. The criminal checks are contracted to an outside business, while education and work history checks are conducted by search committees and the Provost’s office.
“We wouldn’t knowingly hire a felon,” Mr. Holmes said.
On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for Gov. Jack A. Markell offered a statement when asked for a response regarding the news of Dr. Asinor’s departure. The governor appoints part of the DSU Board of Trustees for fixed terms, which assures the independence of the board, but has no involvement in personnel issues at the university, Catherine L. Rossi said.
“The governor has no direct involvement in personnel issues at the university but hopes that, if mistakes have been made, the organization and its leaders learn from them and work to prevent them in the future,” Ms. Rossi said.
In 2008, Freddie Adjei Asinor was sentenced to two years probation after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court for making false statements on a United States Passport application. The plea was entered on Sept. 28, 2007, court records said.
In a press release issued in 2008, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire said Dr. Asinor was a citizen of Ghana when he falsely stated his date and place of birth on a passport application in February 2004; he also fraudulently claimed to be a United States citizen, authorities said.
The case was prosecuted as part of Operation Checkmate, which the U.S. AG’s Office said in a press release was designed to eliminate passport fraud, and “thereby reduce identity theft while securing the nation’s borders.”
Recent work history
Dr. Asinor began overseeing DSU’s nearly 1,300-student, 46-faculty and staff academic department on Aug. 13, 2012.
The college Dr. Asinor oversaw includes DSU’s Education, Nursing, Public and Allied Health and Social Work departments. The school said earlier that interim leadership would be appointed and the search for a full-time replacement was forthcoming.
Dr. Asinor came to DSU after serving as a part-time executive director of the Ocular Melanoma Foundation in Washington D.C., the school said in a press release announcing his arrival. His LinkedIn account indicated the stint ran from November 2011 to February 2012.
Prior to that he was executive vice president of the One World Foundation in Burtonsville, Md., and president and chief academic officer of MASA Healthcare in Owings Mills, Md., DSU’s release said.
On a LinkedIn account describing his role as an administrator, Dr. Asinor included:
“As the chief academic officer of the College, I play a critical role in the University’s strategic planning for the College of Education, Health and Public Service.
“I spearhead the transformative nature of this critical unit, build upon the University’s strong culture of interdisciplinary research and enhance the commitment to academic excellence.
“My ability to foster and communicate a clear vision and carry out the mission of the College in cooperation with the mission of the College in cooperation with members of the faculty is my highest priority.
“As the Dean … I also develop a focused and innovative academic plan for the College consistent with the University’s strategic vision and function in a team environment to effectively communicate with all constituencies of the University.”
Delaware State University officials say the school is reviewing its hiring practices and auditing financial records from the tenure of a former dean who has embezzlement and forgery convictions.
DSU made the announcement Thursday after it was revealed that Freddie Asinor, who resigned last week as dean of the College of Education, Health and Public Policy, had a previously undetected criminal record.
Court records show that Asinor pleaded guilty to forgery and embezzlement, stemming from crimes committed while he worked at Clemson University. In a separate case, Asinor pleaded guilty to making false statements on a passport application. Prosecutors said the Ghana native falsely claimed he was born in Connecticut to get a U.S. passport.
The university also announced that Marsha Horton will serve as interim dean.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Worcester, Delaware teacher arrested on theft charges
FROM DELMARVANOW.COM -
Authorities in Worcester County have charged a middle school teacher accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the teachers union while she was treasurer.
Police also said the Worcester County Teacher's Association conspired to cover up the theft by making arrangements for restitution without contacting authorities that a crime had occurred.
Denise Inez Owens, 58, of Ocean Pines was responsible for the taking of more than $433,000 from accounts belonging to the Worcester County Teacher's Association, according to the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation.
At the time, Owens was in charge of all financial transactions for the WCTA, said Detective Kyle Clark, lead investigator.
"She had full access to the account," he said. "Nobody really checked it."
But after a while, the WCTA started to notice a few inconsistencies in its accounting. In early 2009, the union decided to hire an outside agency to audit its books, Clark said.
It was that forensic audit that showed the organization was short $433,784.52. Police did not break down how much money went missing from year to year.
No one outside the WCTA seemed to take notice for years. The police began investigating in February after The Daily Times published IRS tax filings that claimed Owens -- then going by her former married name of Denise Tull -- had oversight of more than $110,000 in WCTA losses for tax year 2009.
According to a publicly available tax filing dated March 13, 2011, obtained by The Daily Times, the union documented $111,589 in what it called "misappropriated funds" and noted the amount was pending an audit by a bonding company.
A letter attached to the tax filing stated Tull resigned as WCTA treasurer on March 31, 2009, and before that time, she had represented that all tax filings were current.
"However, the (WCTA) officers learned not only had the returns not been filed, but a substantial amount of money was embezzled (more than $100,000)," the letter stated.
Police in February began a theft investigation. It revealed that while treasurer, Owens allegedly had written numerous unauthorized checks to herself and others, and made withdrawals from the account for "personal issues and debt," police said. Clark declined to elaborate on the nature of those issues.
Police also said they learned Owens and WCTA attorneys agreed to have Owens begin paying restitution, but law enforcement was never notified of any theft or embezzlement.
When detectives met with WCTA leadership, "they denied any involvement with what was going on," Clark said.
"They didn't necessarily say it didn't happen," he said. "They didn't want to talk about it. They weren't cooperating."
Owens was arrested Friday. She was charged with theft scheme more than $500 and two counts of theft $500-plus. She posted $100,000 bond and is scheduled for a preliminary court hearing on Sept. 7.
When reached by phone Tuesday, Owens declined to comment. Clark said Owens' statements to police were limited before she secured an attorney.
Owens has been teaching in Worcester County since 1988, according to the school board. At the time of her arrest, she was employed as a special education teacher at Stephen Decatur Middle School.
"We are aware of the arrest and are currently reviewing the charges," said Barb Witherow, spokeswoman for Worcester County public schools. "This is a very serious matter. Upon thorough review, the Superintendent (Jerry Wilson) will be taking appropriate action."
Current WCTA president Helen Schoffstall said in a Jan. 11 interview that the union had accounted for all its funds.
"WCTA did not lose any money," she said. "WCTA finances were not out any money to my knowledge."
Phone messages asking for comment went unreturned Tuesday by Schoffstall, former WCTA President Terry Springle and Susan Russell, chief counsel for the Maryland State Education Association.
The WCTA most recently filed taxes Jan. 12. The filing notes the organization has about $60,000 in revenue and $49,000 in expenses for filing year 2010.
The group's tax-exempt status has been revoked since October 2011, according to the website Guidestar, which tracks IRS filings made by nonprofit agencies.
Additional Facts
MSEA OFFICIAL STATEMENT
The Maryland State Education Association issued this statement on the case Tuesday night:
Charges recently have been filed against Denise Owens, former elected treasurer of the Worcester County Teachers Association (WCTA), an affiliate of the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA). When MSEA discovered that WCTA had fallen into arrears in its scheduled state transmission of dues, the association confronted Ms. Owens, then treasurer of WCTA. Although Ms. Owens promptly resigned her position as treasurer and agreed to restitution, MSEA triggered a full investigation, including a forensic audit, which was submitted to a bonding company. The investigation determined that the funds in question were owed to MSEA and NEA rather than WCTA, and that the local dues money was not part of the mishandled funds. Ultimately, the bonding company's investigation was closed with no criminal or civil action and an agreement for restitution from Ms. Owens. Following this incident, MSEA and WCTA immediately implemented procedural changes to create greater transparency and oversight and avoid any future similar occurrences. At no time was there a loss of programs or services to WCTA members due to this issue.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Authorities in Worcester County have charged a middle school teacher accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the teachers union while she was treasurer.
Police also said the Worcester County Teacher's Association conspired to cover up the theft by making arrangements for restitution without contacting authorities that a crime had occurred.
Denise Inez Owens, 58, of Ocean Pines was responsible for the taking of more than $433,000 from accounts belonging to the Worcester County Teacher's Association, according to the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation.
At the time, Owens was in charge of all financial transactions for the WCTA, said Detective Kyle Clark, lead investigator.
"She had full access to the account," he said. "Nobody really checked it."
But after a while, the WCTA started to notice a few inconsistencies in its accounting. In early 2009, the union decided to hire an outside agency to audit its books, Clark said.
It was that forensic audit that showed the organization was short $433,784.52. Police did not break down how much money went missing from year to year.
No one outside the WCTA seemed to take notice for years. The police began investigating in February after The Daily Times published IRS tax filings that claimed Owens -- then going by her former married name of Denise Tull -- had oversight of more than $110,000 in WCTA losses for tax year 2009.
According to a publicly available tax filing dated March 13, 2011, obtained by The Daily Times, the union documented $111,589 in what it called "misappropriated funds" and noted the amount was pending an audit by a bonding company.
A letter attached to the tax filing stated Tull resigned as WCTA treasurer on March 31, 2009, and before that time, she had represented that all tax filings were current.
"However, the (WCTA) officers learned not only had the returns not been filed, but a substantial amount of money was embezzled (more than $100,000)," the letter stated.
Police in February began a theft investigation. It revealed that while treasurer, Owens allegedly had written numerous unauthorized checks to herself and others, and made withdrawals from the account for "personal issues and debt," police said. Clark declined to elaborate on the nature of those issues.
Police also said they learned Owens and WCTA attorneys agreed to have Owens begin paying restitution, but law enforcement was never notified of any theft or embezzlement.
When detectives met with WCTA leadership, "they denied any involvement with what was going on," Clark said.
"They didn't necessarily say it didn't happen," he said. "They didn't want to talk about it. They weren't cooperating."
Owens was arrested Friday. She was charged with theft scheme more than $500 and two counts of theft $500-plus. She posted $100,000 bond and is scheduled for a preliminary court hearing on Sept. 7.
When reached by phone Tuesday, Owens declined to comment. Clark said Owens' statements to police were limited before she secured an attorney.
Owens has been teaching in Worcester County since 1988, according to the school board. At the time of her arrest, she was employed as a special education teacher at Stephen Decatur Middle School.
"We are aware of the arrest and are currently reviewing the charges," said Barb Witherow, spokeswoman for Worcester County public schools. "This is a very serious matter. Upon thorough review, the Superintendent (Jerry Wilson) will be taking appropriate action."
Current WCTA president Helen Schoffstall said in a Jan. 11 interview that the union had accounted for all its funds.
"WCTA did not lose any money," she said. "WCTA finances were not out any money to my knowledge."
Phone messages asking for comment went unreturned Tuesday by Schoffstall, former WCTA President Terry Springle and Susan Russell, chief counsel for the Maryland State Education Association.
The WCTA most recently filed taxes Jan. 12. The filing notes the organization has about $60,000 in revenue and $49,000 in expenses for filing year 2010.
The group's tax-exempt status has been revoked since October 2011, according to the website Guidestar, which tracks IRS filings made by nonprofit agencies.
Additional Facts
MSEA OFFICIAL STATEMENT
The Maryland State Education Association issued this statement on the case Tuesday night:
Charges recently have been filed against Denise Owens, former elected treasurer of the Worcester County Teachers Association (WCTA), an affiliate of the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA). When MSEA discovered that WCTA had fallen into arrears in its scheduled state transmission of dues, the association confronted Ms. Owens, then treasurer of WCTA. Although Ms. Owens promptly resigned her position as treasurer and agreed to restitution, MSEA triggered a full investigation, including a forensic audit, which was submitted to a bonding company. The investigation determined that the funds in question were owed to MSEA and NEA rather than WCTA, and that the local dues money was not part of the mishandled funds. Ultimately, the bonding company's investigation was closed with no criminal or civil action and an agreement for restitution from Ms. Owens. Following this incident, MSEA and WCTA immediately implemented procedural changes to create greater transparency and oversight and avoid any future similar occurrences. At no time was there a loss of programs or services to WCTA members due to this issue.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Parishioner who gave money to priest accused of embezzlement comes forward
FROM WDEL.COM -
A parishioner who gave $200 to a priest charged with stealing hundreds of thousands says he did so because he was trying to help.
Auto repair shop owner Ed Osborne tells WDEL News he also helped Father Michael Angeloni in other ways, including fixing his car for free.
Angeloni's accused of stealing $305,000 dollars from another parishioner, an elderly woman who attends Wilmington's Church of the Holy Child.
The woman's bank, Wilmington Trust, alerted police about suspicious activity on her account.
Osborne says he's coming forward because he feels it's his civic duty.
A parishioner who gave $200 to a priest charged with stealing hundreds of thousands says he did so because he was trying to help.
Auto repair shop owner Ed Osborne tells WDEL News he also helped Father Michael Angeloni in other ways, including fixing his car for free.
Angeloni's accused of stealing $305,000 dollars from another parishioner, an elderly woman who attends Wilmington's Church of the Holy Child.
The woman's bank, Wilmington Trust, alerted police about suspicious activity on her account.
Osborne says he's coming forward because he feels it's his civic duty.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Delaware priest admits stealing hundreds of thousands from parishes
FROM COURIERPOSTONLINE.COM-
A Catholic priest has pleaded guilty to felony theft after being charged with embezzling more than $350,000 from two parishes of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington.
The Rev. Cornelius Breslin entered the plea in New Castle County Superior Court on Wednesday, the same day he was to go to trial on charges of stealing from St. Patrick and St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception parishes.
The 59-year-old Breslin pleaded guilty to one count of felony theft over $100,000. Prosecutors agreed to drop a second theft count and two counts of falsifying business records.
Breslin will be sentenced Sept. 23, following a presentencing investigation. Sentencing guidelines call for up to one year in prison.
Breslin was indicted in February after diocesan officials reported suspicious financial activity to the attorney general's office.
A Catholic priest has pleaded guilty to felony theft after being charged with embezzling more than $350,000 from two parishes of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington.
The Rev. Cornelius Breslin entered the plea in New Castle County Superior Court on Wednesday, the same day he was to go to trial on charges of stealing from St. Patrick and St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception parishes.
The 59-year-old Breslin pleaded guilty to one count of felony theft over $100,000. Prosecutors agreed to drop a second theft count and two counts of falsifying business records.
Breslin will be sentenced Sept. 23, following a presentencing investigation. Sentencing guidelines call for up to one year in prison.
Breslin was indicted in February after diocesan officials reported suspicious financial activity to the attorney general's office.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Delaware crime: Wilmington pastor charged with embezzlement
A Roman Catholic pastor of two city parishes -- including one that counted Vice President Joe Biden as a past congregant -- is being accused of embezzling more than $350,000 from the parishes.
The Rev. Cornelius J. Breslin, 59, who had been pastor of the parishes of St. Patrick and St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception until Wednesday, turned himself in at the New Castle County Courthouse and entered pleas of not guilty to the charges.
When he was a U.S. senator, Joe Biden regularly attended Mass at St. Patrick's and was close with a previous pastor, the Rev. James Trainor, who died in 2004.
St. Patrick's also has been the traditional end point for Wilmington's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington officials -- who detected the alleged thefts during a routine audit -- have put Breslin on administrative leave and relieved him of "all faculties to function publicly as a priest."
As a condition of his bail, Breslin was ordered to have no contact with either of his former parishes. Because he was living in the rectory at St. Patrick's, Breslin had to move.
Breslin, with his attorney James J. Haley Jr., appeared via video before Superior Court Commissioner Michael Reynolds on Wednesday afternoon.
Breslin answered several brief questions and informed Reynolds that he would be moving in with his mother in Philadelphia.
Breslin faces two felony charges of theft over $100,000 -- one for each parish -- and two misdemeanor charges of falsifying business records.
If convicted on all charges, he faces up to 32 years in prison, but likely would face far less -- including a sentence of probation -- given his lack of a criminal record and state sentencing guidelines.
The indictment comes following a five-month investigation by the Delaware Attorney General's Office that was initiated by Diocese of Wilmington officials, who reported suspicious financial activity by the priest. According to investigators, between July 2009 and August 2010 Breslin wrote checks to himself for more than $358,000 from the accounts of both parishes and deposited the money in an account at a different bank.
The Rev. Cornelius J. Breslin, 59, who had been pastor of the parishes of St. Patrick and St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception until Wednesday, turned himself in at the New Castle County Courthouse and entered pleas of not guilty to the charges.
When he was a U.S. senator, Joe Biden regularly attended Mass at St. Patrick's and was close with a previous pastor, the Rev. James Trainor, who died in 2004.
St. Patrick's also has been the traditional end point for Wilmington's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington officials -- who detected the alleged thefts during a routine audit -- have put Breslin on administrative leave and relieved him of "all faculties to function publicly as a priest."
As a condition of his bail, Breslin was ordered to have no contact with either of his former parishes. Because he was living in the rectory at St. Patrick's, Breslin had to move.
Breslin, with his attorney James J. Haley Jr., appeared via video before Superior Court Commissioner Michael Reynolds on Wednesday afternoon.
Breslin answered several brief questions and informed Reynolds that he would be moving in with his mother in Philadelphia.
Breslin faces two felony charges of theft over $100,000 -- one for each parish -- and two misdemeanor charges of falsifying business records.
If convicted on all charges, he faces up to 32 years in prison, but likely would face far less -- including a sentence of probation -- given his lack of a criminal record and state sentencing guidelines.
The indictment comes following a five-month investigation by the Delaware Attorney General's Office that was initiated by Diocese of Wilmington officials, who reported suspicious financial activity by the priest. According to investigators, between July 2009 and August 2010 Breslin wrote checks to himself for more than $358,000 from the accounts of both parishes and deposited the money in an account at a different bank.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Church accountant charged in embezzlement investigation in Delaware
Police have arrested a 56-year-old Milton man on 20 charges related to theft from the Bethel United Methodist Church.
John M. Duckworth was employed by the church as an accountant when police were contacted regarding large sums of money missing from the church's bank account.
Duckworth, who also owns a private accounting company, is alleged to have written out checks to himself from December 2007 to July of this year. Police were able to trace 20 checks totaling over $32,000, with amounts ranging from $699 to $2,400.
Police said Duckworth was charged Tuesday and released on a $14,500 unsecured bond.
Because Duckworth has his own accounting business, police believe there could be additional victims. If anyone believes they have been a victim of the suspect's accounting practices, contact Delaware State Police Troop 4 Fraud Unit in Georgetown at 302-856-5850. Callers may remain anonymous. Tips may also be forwarded to police through Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or online at www.tipsubmit.com
John M. Duckworth was employed by the church as an accountant when police were contacted regarding large sums of money missing from the church's bank account.
Duckworth, who also owns a private accounting company, is alleged to have written out checks to himself from December 2007 to July of this year. Police were able to trace 20 checks totaling over $32,000, with amounts ranging from $699 to $2,400.
Police said Duckworth was charged Tuesday and released on a $14,500 unsecured bond.
Because Duckworth has his own accounting business, police believe there could be additional victims. If anyone believes they have been a victim of the suspect's accounting practices, contact Delaware State Police Troop 4 Fraud Unit in Georgetown at 302-856-5850. Callers may remain anonymous. Tips may also be forwarded to police through Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or online at www.tipsubmit.com
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Pilferers prey on the faithful. Too much trust makes church embezzlement common
Delaware worshippers often speak of going to church to become better people, but this spring Christians got a wholly unexpected lesson in lying and theft.In May, at St. John's Methodist Church in Seaford, secretary Penny L. Kimbrough was arrested and charged with unlawfully writing checks to herself and getting a credit card by using the church's name.That same month at Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Shannon G. Tuso, an administrative assistant, was arrested for taking money from the Greenville Episcopal church, after being convicted of embezzling from a bank three years earlier.And at First Presbyterian Church of Newark, there is ongoing frustration over Carol H. Lind, a former administrator, treasurer and a respected choir member. She pleaded guilty to theft in a plea bargain in July 2009, but her restitution hearing has yet to be held in Superior Court.As a result, some members of the church have difficulties moving on, not knowing if the congregation will receive any of the missing $60,095 revealed in a forensic audit, said the Rev. Steve Brundage, the pastor.People have been hoping for "a public accounting of what, if anything, she will repay," he said. "My judgment is some people need that to get to forgiveness."The issue of church embezzlement extends beyond Delaware and is so pervasive that one management expert fears it could be the next big scandal in America's churches."The issue needs the attention of churches," said Charles Zech, director of Villanova University's center for the study of church management. "They're so trusting, they fail to put in business protections that keep them from being taken advantage of."A Villanova survey of Catholic dioceses in 2006 found that financial officers were almost as worried about parish fraud as suits over sexual abuse."We found an enormous amount of concern by those who watch over church funds," Zech said. On a question about embezzlement, 85 percent of responding churches said they had been victimized.But it's not just churches that need accounting protection. In Delaware, bonds of trust have been broken because of embezzlements across all strata of society -- banks, government, supermarkets, volunteer fire companies, law firms, beauty salons and churches.It's a crime of opportunity by people who present themselves as the best folks in the world, then take advantage of the trust they have earned, said U.S. Attorney David Weiss. With access to finances and little oversight, they begin to help themselves to money because of greed, addiction or financial pressures. Take Bernard Nowakowski. He slipped a check into his pocket as he left work one day at United Electric Supply near New Castle and was able to cash it. That led him to take more as he needed it to feed his gambling addiction. After nine years and 350 stolen checks, he'd taken $500,000.
When he was caught, he said he was relieved and sobbed in court, apologizing "for all the hurt I've caused."
FBI crime statistics show that Delaware has one of the highest per-capita rates of embezzlement.For instance, there were 291 reported embezzlements in Delaware in 2007 when the state had a population of 864,764, according to the FBI. In California, a state whose population is 42 times that of Delaware, there were 2,333 similar crimes that year. I am unaware of anything unique to Delaware that makes us more susceptible to this type of crime," said Weiss. But without question, embezzlement is a "substantial problem" in Delaware, he said. In recent months, some high-profile embezzlements were resolved in Delaware:
• William Hitch, head of finance, stealing $151,000 from the Laurel School District
• Stephen Sassi, an accountant, stealing $1.5 million from two doctor clients
Wendy Davis, a bookkeeper, stealing $170,000 from a law firm where she had worked for 24 years
Cynthia Declet, a business manager, taking $287,744 from a small computer consulting business.
Sentences in these cases ranged from probation for Hitch to three years in prison for Sassi.
And while the courts do their best to see money is repaid, full restitution is rare, Weiss said.
Usually, the money is spent on luxury items -- like trips, meals or hotel stays -- or addictions such as gambling and drugs, Weiss said.
Nowakowski, who worked at United Electric Supply, plowed the $500,000 he stole into slot machines in Atlantic City, Dover Downs and Delaware Park, sometimes playing 24 hours a day
Now, four years after his conviction and two years after he left prison, Nowakowski sends the company a $100 check every month.
Frankly, it would take an eternity to pay off [what he owes] completely," said Gene Bruni, company president.People attending the nation's 300,000 churches are among the most vulnerable.
They come to meet good people, not to wonder who's going to rip them off after worship, said Chris Falkenberg, a former Secret Service agent who runs the private firm, Insite Security.In this setting, people let down their guard believing they are among holy and consecrated folks, said the Rev. Doug Gerdts, senior pastor of First & Central Presbyterian Church and treasurer of his denomination's regional governing body, New Castle Presbytery."We also have some unbelievably pathetic accounting systems and nonexistent controls," Gerdts said. "It's not unusual to have one person in charge of everything and keeping records in their home and reporting to the congregation." In the vast majority of churches, there is too much trust," said Villanova's Zech. "No one would think a minister or priest or selfless volunteer would embezzle and so they tend not to put in routine financial controls."He said he was surprised by the results of his survey sent to 174 Catholic dioceses that happened to include a question on embezzlement. Among those responding, 85 percent said that they'd had such a theft in the last five years."The Conference of Bishops has provided good guidance on preventing the problem, but not enough dioceses are taking precautions," Zech said.Only three percent of dioceses were conducting an annual audit of parishes, while 21 percent said they never did the audits and 28 percent said they conduct an audit when a priest leaves a parish.If a discrepancy was found, would they prosecute? Zech said he doesn't know, given that one of the worst things a church can do is attract bad publicity.He said it's because of lax oversight that there are scandals like the one involving the Rev. Kevin Gray. He's the Waterbury, Conn., priest charged in July with stealing $1.3 million from Sacred Heart parish over seven years to pay for hotels, meals, clothing and male escorts.In January 2009, there was an arrest in the Diocese of Wilmington.Kenneth Hanbury, a 60-year-old deacon, was charged by Maryland State Police with embezzling more than $30,000 from Our Mother of Sorrows Parish in Centreville, Md., where he was the bookkeeper."Any time you have money, there is going to be temptation, even though there are good people in our parishes," said Bob Krebs, a spokesman for the Diocese of Wilmington.In the diocese, each parish is required to have a financial council for oversight and to advise the pastor. And parish financial statements are reviewed each year at the diocesan level, said Krebs.A diocesan auditor visits a parish every two years to go over the books. That's also done when a pastor leaves a parish. The policy has been in place at least a decade, Krebs said. Zech worries that embezzlements could be the next big crisis for the American Catholic church. In his survey, almost 34 percent of financial officers said their biggest fear was the lack of financial controls at the parish level.Zech hates to say that churches are vulnerable because that "sounds like blaming the victim." Nevertheless, he said, embezzlement is a crime of opportunity and churches should make it harder for people to find that opportunity.No one has to convince the 220 worshippers at Newark's First Presbyterian Church of the need for oversight. The memory of the last three years is too fresh. A certified accounting firm, Wilmington's Jeter & Associates, showed that from January 2007 to December 2008, Carol Lind wrote at least 35 unauthorized checks that made their way to her bank.Lind, now in her 60s, was hired in the early 1990s as an office administrator and apparently did well under supervision, said Tom D. Runnels, a longtime member.We're a loving congregation and that made us casual about our finances," Runnels said.The church had problems finding leadership and went through a period when pastors and interim pastors were there only a few years. During that period, financial oversight waned.
The role of treasurer, which had been a volunteer role, was shifted to Lind. By 2000, she took care of vendor payments, processed payroll, monitored cash accounts, and prepared reports on the financial state of the church.She had control of the checkbook and wrote her own checks.You could say it's a testament to faith that organizations run as badly as ours exist at all," Runnels said.If Lind needed extra money, it wasn't apparent. She drove a Mercedes, owned a home in Chester County, wore suits from Talbot's and the occasional mink.She began to funnel extra paychecks into her accounts as early as January 2007, said David Berkebile, president of the trustees.She covered the theft using a color copier that she'd contracted for at church. When statements from Bank of America and Wilmington Trust came in, she made her own versions using the copier and filled in new balances. (She also kept the original statements neatly stacked in a locked desk.)At first, church leaders did not know what was amiss -- only that it was impossible to get a detailed report for the annual budget meeting in the winter of 2007. Members of the finance committee say they went 14 months without proper accounting."She always said she was working on getting people the records and our interim pastor would back her up, saying she had a lot to do," Runnels said.The theft fully came to light in the fall of 2008, when a church elder was visiting one of the banks and learned that an account, which should have had $60,000, was $10,000 in the red, Gerdts said.Gerdts got involved as treasurer of New Castle Presbytery, offering assistance in paying for a forensic audit. He also noted a reluctance to press charges.
Gerdts said reporting the crime was a way to show the seriousness of the offense, a way to pursue repayment and a way for leaders to rebuild trust with the congregation, given that members felt let down by elders who had let this happen.So the church commissioned a full audit and used it to report her to the Newark police in early 2009. And the slow process of healing began with elders holding a series of meetings in which they admitted their failures. They also developed monetary reforms, Gerdts said.Now a team of three oversees the check writing, five teams of people take turns counting the Sunday collection and another team oversees accounting. There also is an annual report and review of finances for the whole congregation, Brundage said.It didn't hurt that when the embezzlement came to light, the congregation was interviewing a candidate to be pastor. It was Brundage, who had served 30 years in ministry. He said he wasn't scared by the controversy, and came in February 2009."Theology is empty unless we trust that God is with us in the tough times," Brundage said.Initially, the crime's exposure led to a decline in membership and giving, Gerdts said. But the congregation bounced back."They've worked hard to re-establish trust," he said.Today, positions that were previously vacant -- such as a part-time Christian educator and worship leader -- have been filled and the payroll is about where it was when Lind left, because much of the giving has been restored."I think our church is as strong as ever," said Runnels, a member since 1977.But part of the Lind case is frustrating to members of the congregation because it's in legal limbo and because of the lack of media attention.In July 2009, Lind pleaded guilty to theft in Superior Court and was sentenced to two years in prison, though that was suspended for a year of probation, Runnels said.He said church members agreed to the sentencing because they were under the impression that Judge John A. Parkins ordered a plan for restitution to be completed within 90 days. A plan has yet to be presented in court."I have people come into my office and say they're stuck wanting to know how come nothing is happening," Brundage said. "I understand why they feel let down."Frustrated, the church posted an open letter on its website in April asking that Deputy Attorney General Kevin Carroll give the case priority.Carroll wrote back to say the case "was overlooked as counsel caseload increased dramatically" but that he was seeking to have the Lind restitution hearing placed on the court calendar."Is she able to pay?" said Bradley Manning, a public defender who represents Lind. "I can't answer that question. I know she and her husband are having financial difficulties.
"All I know is that she admitted her guilt and there is an agreement she will pay."Berkebile, a trustee, says church members would like the legal end to be settled because it feels unfinished.A lot of people don't expect to get much back but they'd be comforted if Lind apologized, he said."I think even if she started paying 50 cents a month, some people could stop thinking about it," he said. "But some will never heal."
When he was caught, he said he was relieved and sobbed in court, apologizing "for all the hurt I've caused."
FBI crime statistics show that Delaware has one of the highest per-capita rates of embezzlement.For instance, there were 291 reported embezzlements in Delaware in 2007 when the state had a population of 864,764, according to the FBI. In California, a state whose population is 42 times that of Delaware, there were 2,333 similar crimes that year. I am unaware of anything unique to Delaware that makes us more susceptible to this type of crime," said Weiss. But without question, embezzlement is a "substantial problem" in Delaware, he said. In recent months, some high-profile embezzlements were resolved in Delaware:
• William Hitch, head of finance, stealing $151,000 from the Laurel School District
• Stephen Sassi, an accountant, stealing $1.5 million from two doctor clients
Wendy Davis, a bookkeeper, stealing $170,000 from a law firm where she had worked for 24 years
Cynthia Declet, a business manager, taking $287,744 from a small computer consulting business.
Sentences in these cases ranged from probation for Hitch to three years in prison for Sassi.
And while the courts do their best to see money is repaid, full restitution is rare, Weiss said.
Usually, the money is spent on luxury items -- like trips, meals or hotel stays -- or addictions such as gambling and drugs, Weiss said.
Nowakowski, who worked at United Electric Supply, plowed the $500,000 he stole into slot machines in Atlantic City, Dover Downs and Delaware Park, sometimes playing 24 hours a day
Now, four years after his conviction and two years after he left prison, Nowakowski sends the company a $100 check every month.
Frankly, it would take an eternity to pay off [what he owes] completely," said Gene Bruni, company president.People attending the nation's 300,000 churches are among the most vulnerable.
They come to meet good people, not to wonder who's going to rip them off after worship, said Chris Falkenberg, a former Secret Service agent who runs the private firm, Insite Security.In this setting, people let down their guard believing they are among holy and consecrated folks, said the Rev. Doug Gerdts, senior pastor of First & Central Presbyterian Church and treasurer of his denomination's regional governing body, New Castle Presbytery."We also have some unbelievably pathetic accounting systems and nonexistent controls," Gerdts said. "It's not unusual to have one person in charge of everything and keeping records in their home and reporting to the congregation." In the vast majority of churches, there is too much trust," said Villanova's Zech. "No one would think a minister or priest or selfless volunteer would embezzle and so they tend not to put in routine financial controls."He said he was surprised by the results of his survey sent to 174 Catholic dioceses that happened to include a question on embezzlement. Among those responding, 85 percent said that they'd had such a theft in the last five years."The Conference of Bishops has provided good guidance on preventing the problem, but not enough dioceses are taking precautions," Zech said.Only three percent of dioceses were conducting an annual audit of parishes, while 21 percent said they never did the audits and 28 percent said they conduct an audit when a priest leaves a parish.If a discrepancy was found, would they prosecute? Zech said he doesn't know, given that one of the worst things a church can do is attract bad publicity.He said it's because of lax oversight that there are scandals like the one involving the Rev. Kevin Gray. He's the Waterbury, Conn., priest charged in July with stealing $1.3 million from Sacred Heart parish over seven years to pay for hotels, meals, clothing and male escorts.In January 2009, there was an arrest in the Diocese of Wilmington.Kenneth Hanbury, a 60-year-old deacon, was charged by Maryland State Police with embezzling more than $30,000 from Our Mother of Sorrows Parish in Centreville, Md., where he was the bookkeeper."Any time you have money, there is going to be temptation, even though there are good people in our parishes," said Bob Krebs, a spokesman for the Diocese of Wilmington.In the diocese, each parish is required to have a financial council for oversight and to advise the pastor. And parish financial statements are reviewed each year at the diocesan level, said Krebs.A diocesan auditor visits a parish every two years to go over the books. That's also done when a pastor leaves a parish. The policy has been in place at least a decade, Krebs said. Zech worries that embezzlements could be the next big crisis for the American Catholic church. In his survey, almost 34 percent of financial officers said their biggest fear was the lack of financial controls at the parish level.Zech hates to say that churches are vulnerable because that "sounds like blaming the victim." Nevertheless, he said, embezzlement is a crime of opportunity and churches should make it harder for people to find that opportunity.No one has to convince the 220 worshippers at Newark's First Presbyterian Church of the need for oversight. The memory of the last three years is too fresh. A certified accounting firm, Wilmington's Jeter & Associates, showed that from January 2007 to December 2008, Carol Lind wrote at least 35 unauthorized checks that made their way to her bank.Lind, now in her 60s, was hired in the early 1990s as an office administrator and apparently did well under supervision, said Tom D. Runnels, a longtime member.We're a loving congregation and that made us casual about our finances," Runnels said.The church had problems finding leadership and went through a period when pastors and interim pastors were there only a few years. During that period, financial oversight waned.
The role of treasurer, which had been a volunteer role, was shifted to Lind. By 2000, she took care of vendor payments, processed payroll, monitored cash accounts, and prepared reports on the financial state of the church.She had control of the checkbook and wrote her own checks.You could say it's a testament to faith that organizations run as badly as ours exist at all," Runnels said.If Lind needed extra money, it wasn't apparent. She drove a Mercedes, owned a home in Chester County, wore suits from Talbot's and the occasional mink.She began to funnel extra paychecks into her accounts as early as January 2007, said David Berkebile, president of the trustees.She covered the theft using a color copier that she'd contracted for at church. When statements from Bank of America and Wilmington Trust came in, she made her own versions using the copier and filled in new balances. (She also kept the original statements neatly stacked in a locked desk.)At first, church leaders did not know what was amiss -- only that it was impossible to get a detailed report for the annual budget meeting in the winter of 2007. Members of the finance committee say they went 14 months without proper accounting."She always said she was working on getting people the records and our interim pastor would back her up, saying she had a lot to do," Runnels said.The theft fully came to light in the fall of 2008, when a church elder was visiting one of the banks and learned that an account, which should have had $60,000, was $10,000 in the red, Gerdts said.Gerdts got involved as treasurer of New Castle Presbytery, offering assistance in paying for a forensic audit. He also noted a reluctance to press charges.
Gerdts said reporting the crime was a way to show the seriousness of the offense, a way to pursue repayment and a way for leaders to rebuild trust with the congregation, given that members felt let down by elders who had let this happen.So the church commissioned a full audit and used it to report her to the Newark police in early 2009. And the slow process of healing began with elders holding a series of meetings in which they admitted their failures. They also developed monetary reforms, Gerdts said.Now a team of three oversees the check writing, five teams of people take turns counting the Sunday collection and another team oversees accounting. There also is an annual report and review of finances for the whole congregation, Brundage said.It didn't hurt that when the embezzlement came to light, the congregation was interviewing a candidate to be pastor. It was Brundage, who had served 30 years in ministry. He said he wasn't scared by the controversy, and came in February 2009."Theology is empty unless we trust that God is with us in the tough times," Brundage said.Initially, the crime's exposure led to a decline in membership and giving, Gerdts said. But the congregation bounced back."They've worked hard to re-establish trust," he said.Today, positions that were previously vacant -- such as a part-time Christian educator and worship leader -- have been filled and the payroll is about where it was when Lind left, because much of the giving has been restored."I think our church is as strong as ever," said Runnels, a member since 1977.But part of the Lind case is frustrating to members of the congregation because it's in legal limbo and because of the lack of media attention.In July 2009, Lind pleaded guilty to theft in Superior Court and was sentenced to two years in prison, though that was suspended for a year of probation, Runnels said.He said church members agreed to the sentencing because they were under the impression that Judge John A. Parkins ordered a plan for restitution to be completed within 90 days. A plan has yet to be presented in court."I have people come into my office and say they're stuck wanting to know how come nothing is happening," Brundage said. "I understand why they feel let down."Frustrated, the church posted an open letter on its website in April asking that Deputy Attorney General Kevin Carroll give the case priority.Carroll wrote back to say the case "was overlooked as counsel caseload increased dramatically" but that he was seeking to have the Lind restitution hearing placed on the court calendar."Is she able to pay?" said Bradley Manning, a public defender who represents Lind. "I can't answer that question. I know she and her husband are having financial difficulties.
"All I know is that she admitted her guilt and there is an agreement she will pay."Berkebile, a trustee, says church members would like the legal end to be settled because it feels unfinished.A lot of people don't expect to get much back but they'd be comforted if Lind apologized, he said."I think even if she started paying 50 cents a month, some people could stop thinking about it," he said. "But some will never heal."
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Delaware crime: Embezzler charged with stealing from church
An Ogletown woman convicted of embezzling from a bank three years ago was arrested again this month
for taking money from a Greenville church where she was employed, police said.Shannon G. Tuso, 39, of the 100 block of Brewster Drive in the Sycamore Gardens development, was charged May 3 by New Castle County police with one count of theft under $1,500 for obtaining money by fraudulent means -- a misdemeanor.Until March 11, Tuso was an administrative associate at Christ Church Christiana Hundred in Greenville.According to court records, Tuso -- in her responsibility of handling the church's payroll --
gave herself a $1,000 raise in her monthly salary in December, which she was not authoried to do.
Tuso was hired at Christ Church on May 5, 2008, about a year after she was convicted in federal court
of embezzling $135,000 from Bank of America. She was to work in the management of resources and
handle payables and payroll.Tuso left the church Feb. 16 on medical leave and planned to return in early March, but she never did, Christ Church Rector Ruth Lawson Kirk said.yuso was terminated March 11 after the allegations of misappropriation came to light.On March 17, Tuso was charged with violating her probation on the embezzlement conviction because she lied to her probation officer about handling money on the job, according to court records. She appeared in federal court April 21 to answer to that charge, which was filed less than a month before her three years of supervised release expired.According to court records, Tuso admitted to intentionally deceiving the officer by stating on several occasions that she did not have access to funds at her former employer, Christ Church, when in fact, she did."U.S. District Court Judge Gregory M. Sleet sentenced Tuso to two months in prison May 5, to commence on June 14 when her daughter finishes school, and one year of supervised release.At her April 25, 2007, sentencing in U.S. District Court on the felony embezzlement charge, Tuso, who worked in Bank of America's payroll department, said she stole $135,000 to save the lives of her ex-husband and 5-year-old daughter, who were being hounded by a New Jersey drug dealer over a $25,000 debt her ex-husband had incurred.
Tuso told Sleet at that time that she knew what she was doing was wrong, but did it to protect her
child.The judge sentenced her to six hours in prison and three years of supervised release. She was also
ordered to return $80,719 to the Bank of America.Kirk, of Christ Church, said she had no knowledge
of Tuso's felony arrest and had done no background check before hiring her two years ago.
Kirk, who became rector in 2007, has been in the ministry for 21 years and said this is the first time
there had been a need for a criminal investigation of a member of her church's staff.
"Now I know that I have to do a state criminal background check and a federal one as well," Kirk
said, referring to the need to balance greater vigilance with the church's mission of mercy and
justice."Sometimes that means that we're wounded by events," she said. "One of my jobs is to rebuild the
trust and integrity."Kirk informed the congregation about the allegations in a May 10 letter and said the church will make changes in its accounting practices, as recommended by an auditor.
Kirk also told congregants that the church is "keenly aware of our responsibility for your gifts and
contributions ... and remains fully committed to the careful management of the resources you entrust to
us."The Episcopal parish traces its founding to the du Pont family and remains near the family's original
1803 home and graveyard. Church membership was 1,980 in 2005, with a $1.5 million operating
budget, making it the largest in the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware.
for taking money from a Greenville church where she was employed, police said.Shannon G. Tuso, 39, of the 100 block of Brewster Drive in the Sycamore Gardens development, was charged May 3 by New Castle County police with one count of theft under $1,500 for obtaining money by fraudulent means -- a misdemeanor.Until March 11, Tuso was an administrative associate at Christ Church Christiana Hundred in Greenville.According to court records, Tuso -- in her responsibility of handling the church's payroll --
gave herself a $1,000 raise in her monthly salary in December, which she was not authoried to do.
Tuso was hired at Christ Church on May 5, 2008, about a year after she was convicted in federal court
of embezzling $135,000 from Bank of America. She was to work in the management of resources and
handle payables and payroll.Tuso left the church Feb. 16 on medical leave and planned to return in early March, but she never did, Christ Church Rector Ruth Lawson Kirk said.yuso was terminated March 11 after the allegations of misappropriation came to light.On March 17, Tuso was charged with violating her probation on the embezzlement conviction because she lied to her probation officer about handling money on the job, according to court records. She appeared in federal court April 21 to answer to that charge, which was filed less than a month before her three years of supervised release expired.According to court records, Tuso admitted to intentionally deceiving the officer by stating on several occasions that she did not have access to funds at her former employer, Christ Church, when in fact, she did."U.S. District Court Judge Gregory M. Sleet sentenced Tuso to two months in prison May 5, to commence on June 14 when her daughter finishes school, and one year of supervised release.At her April 25, 2007, sentencing in U.S. District Court on the felony embezzlement charge, Tuso, who worked in Bank of America's payroll department, said she stole $135,000 to save the lives of her ex-husband and 5-year-old daughter, who were being hounded by a New Jersey drug dealer over a $25,000 debt her ex-husband had incurred.
Tuso told Sleet at that time that she knew what she was doing was wrong, but did it to protect her
child.The judge sentenced her to six hours in prison and three years of supervised release. She was also
ordered to return $80,719 to the Bank of America.Kirk, of Christ Church, said she had no knowledge
of Tuso's felony arrest and had done no background check before hiring her two years ago.
Kirk, who became rector in 2007, has been in the ministry for 21 years and said this is the first time
there had been a need for a criminal investigation of a member of her church's staff.
"Now I know that I have to do a state criminal background check and a federal one as well," Kirk
said, referring to the need to balance greater vigilance with the church's mission of mercy and
justice."Sometimes that means that we're wounded by events," she said. "One of my jobs is to rebuild the
trust and integrity."Kirk informed the congregation about the allegations in a May 10 letter and said the church will make changes in its accounting practices, as recommended by an auditor.
Kirk also told congregants that the church is "keenly aware of our responsibility for your gifts and
contributions ... and remains fully committed to the careful management of the resources you entrust to
us."The Episcopal parish traces its founding to the du Pont family and remains near the family's original
1803 home and graveyard. Church membership was 1,980 in 2005, with a $1.5 million operating
budget, making it the largest in the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Delaware Church secretary charged with theft
A Seaford woman who worked as a financial secretary for a church was arrested last week for allegedly stealing money from the church, police said.
Penny L. Kimbrough, 51, was charged Friday with theft, falsifying business records, three counts of unlawful use of a credit card and racketeering.
Seaford police spokesman Lt. Richard Jamison said investigators received information last month from officials at St. John’s Church on Pine Street that their financial secretary was allegedly using funds from church accounts.
An investigation revealed that Kimbrough, who had been employed by the church for more than three years, had unlawfully obtained a credit card using the church’s name, written checks to herself and used the church’s credit cards for personal use.
Kimbrough was released in lieu of $66,000 unsecured bail pending a court hearing, Jamison said.
Penny L. Kimbrough, 51, was charged Friday with theft, falsifying business records, three counts of unlawful use of a credit card and racketeering.
Seaford police spokesman Lt. Richard Jamison said investigators received information last month from officials at St. John’s Church on Pine Street that their financial secretary was allegedly using funds from church accounts.
An investigation revealed that Kimbrough, who had been employed by the church for more than three years, had unlawfully obtained a credit card using the church’s name, written checks to herself and used the church’s credit cards for personal use.
Kimbrough was released in lieu of $66,000 unsecured bail pending a court hearing, Jamison said.
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