A Roman Catholic priest has admitted stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from his Florida parishioners which he then used to buy expensive homes, fund trips to Las Vegas with a mistress and even buy a $275,000 (£200,000) rare coin collection. The Rev John Skehan, 81, originally from County Kilkenny, Ireland, pleaded guilty to embezzling funds from parishioners at St Vincent Ferrer Catholic church in West Palm beach.
Skehan, who had been at the church for 40 years, was accused of taking $370,000 between 2001 and 2006, the timeframe covered by the statute of limitations. Church auditors, however, believe the figure stolen over the years was in the millions.
According to the charges, Skehan operated with the Rev Francis Guinan, another Irish priest originally from County Offaly, in what authorities say could be one of the biggest embezzlement cases to hit the US Catholic church.
Police reports said Skehan used $134,075 to pay for his alleged lover's expenses and another $268,630 on personal dental work and credit card bills.
"Father Skehan accepted responsibility for his actions by virtue of his guilty plea," his lawyer, Scott Richardson, said. "It's been extraordinarily difficult for him from the beginning."
The trial of Guinan, who has pleaded not guilty, has been delayed until 18 February. He is accused of stealing $488,000 in the 19 months after he became pastor in September 2003.
Authorities have alleged that Guinan had an "intimate relationship" with a former bookkeeper at a church where he had previously worked and paid her credit card bills and her child's school tuition with money that was not recorded on the church books.
They said the woman accompanied the priest on holidays. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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(Source: GUK)