A priest admits to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from his own church to feed his gambling addiction, and parishioners are coming forward to defend him.
Monsignor Kevin McCauliffe was second in command of the Catholic Diocese of Las Vegas, right underneath the bishop, until last week when it came out Father McCauliffe stole $650,000 from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church.
"God I was speechless. You don't look at a priest to do something like that," church parishioner, Lorraine Christopherson says.
Tuesday night at St. Elizabeth, parishioners weren't pouring in to voice their complaints, but their prayers for McCauliffe.
"Praying that he's sentencing won't be as hard as they're saying. They're saying he can get up to sixty years and I'm sorry I don't look at him as a common criminal," parishioner Corey Johnson said.
The church members want leniency for their thieving priest. They also say now that they know more about the case, it makes it easier to forgive.
Tuesday night at St. Elizabeth, parishioners weren't pouring in to voice their complaints, but their prayers for McCauliffe.
"Praying that he's sentencing won't be as hard as they're saying. They're saying he can get up to sixty years and I'm sorry I don't look at him as a common criminal," parishioner Corey Johnson said.
The church members want leniency for their thieving priest. They also say now that they know more about the case, it makes it easier to forgive.
McCauliffe's lawyer confirmed he plead guilty to three federal counts of mail fraud and that he's being treated for gambling addiction.
"I feel sorry for him. And I'm proud that he's getting the help he needs to pull through," Johnson said.
"I feel sorry for him. And I'm proud that he's getting the help he needs to pull through," Johnson said.
McCauliffe has been relieved of all church duties.
He's set to be sentenced in January where he faces up to 60 years and $750,000 in fines.