79-Year-Old Nun Pleads Guilty For Stealing $835,339 From The School She Was A Principal Of For 28-Years

This old lady is a retired nun who has been pleaded guilty to stealing more than $800,000 to gamble in Las Vegas

The 79-year-old retired nun stole the money from a catholic school and would now be facing serious charges.

Mary Margaret Kreuper indeed broke the stereotypes that surround the nuns by stealing a whopping amount of money.

St James Catholic Church/PA Images

She was a principal at the same school she stole the money from

Mary used to be a principal at Torrance’s St. James Catholic School from where she stole the money.

According to the case, Mary stole the money between 2008 to 2018. The retired nun has been facing serious charges including one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

PA Images

She had embezzled $835,339 from the school fund

She remained the principal at Torrance’s St. James Catholic School for 28 years. She wasn't sincere with the tuition fees and the donations she received but instead filled her own pockets. She used to place the funds in the St. James Convent Account and the St. James Savings Account from where she used to withdraw the money for her own use. 

According to the reports, the retired nun spent a good amount of money on gambling in Las Vegas. 

She spent the money for her personal use and also allegedly made employees destroy financial records

Mary Margaret Kreuper's plea agreement states that;

'she spent money to pay for expenses that the order would not have approved, much less paid for, including large gambling expenses incurred at casinos and certain credit card charges’.

It further stated;

[Kreuper] lulled St. James School and the Administration into believing that the school’s finances were being properly accounted for and its financial assets properly safeguarded, which, in turn, allowed defendant Kreuper to maintain her access and control of the school’s finances and accounts and, thus, continue operating the fraudulent scheme.

unsplash

Her attorney defends the nun by saying she has been suffering from a mental illnes

Besides this, the retired nun is also found guilty of destroying financial records during school audits.

Her attorney Mark Byrne said,

‘Unfortunately, later in her life, she has been suffering from a mental illness that clouded her judgment and caused her to do something that she otherwise would not have done.’

The archdiocese also responded to the matter and stated;

The community of faith at St. James was shocked and saddened by these actions and the parish, school and the archdiocese reported the matter and fully cooperated with authorities in the criminal investigation.

Mary Kreuper, 79, had been found guilty of stealing a whopping amount of $835,339. She is set to appear in United States District Court on July 1 and will be facing 40 years in prison as per the reports.