Catholic priests get jail terms for embezzlement
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May 12th, 2009
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BEIJING, March 27 — A court sentenced two Roman Catholic priests to prison on charges of misappropriation of more than 8 million dollars from their church.
John Skehan and Francis Guinan were accused in 2006 of skimming money from collection plates and bequests at their church in Delray Beach, Florida, and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on real estate, travel, rare coins and girlfriends.
Skehan, 81, was handed down 14 months in prison Tuesday and seven years probation after pleading guilty in January to a charge of grand theft of over $100,000.
Guinan, 66, was sentenced Wednesday to four years in prison after taking the case to trial and being found guilty of a lesser charge of theft under $100,000.
Judge Jeffrey Colbath imposed the prison term on Skehan despite requests from prosecutors, defense lawyers and the Diocese of Palm Beach for probation only, the Palm Beach Post reported.
“The court finds the defendant is not merely sorry because he got caught, but is truly shameful, embarrassed and remorseful,” the newspaper quoted Colbath as saying.
“The crime of the defendant was pure greed unmasked. There was not a shred of moral necessity to excuse the defendants crime,” the Judge said.
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