The former pastor of a Washington Borough church has pleaded guilty to running a church raffle scam.The Rev. Robert Ascolese pleaded guilty Friday to three counts of theft, even as he maintained that he never knew he was doing anything wrong running a church raffle with fake "winners."
The $100-a-ticket raffles at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church were from 2001 to 2005, and were to raise $200,000 a year for the church, with an annual $200,000 going to winners.
But nearly $1 million of what was supposed to be winnings were funnelled back into the struggling church and elementary school.
Some in the community and even the parish have defended Ascolese as a sort of Catholic Robin Hood.
Ascolese's sentencing is tentatively scheduled for July. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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