Authorities in Pennsylvania have filed charges against a former priest for allegedly misappropriating hundreds of thousands of dollars from churches and an elderly relative in the state’s western region.
The 69-year-old cleric named Gregory Allen Madeya, who previously served at several Catholic parishes in Western Pennsylvania, now faces numerous felony counts of theft and financial exploitation after investigators uncovered a pattern of misconduct stretching back to 2018, reports Mon Valley Independent.
Prosecutors say the scheme involved diverting proceeds from church fundraisers, rental income from affiliated groups, and proceeds from the sale of religious artifacts.
Investigators further allege Madeya abused his authority over his mother’s finances, draining investment accounts and leaving her in difficult circumstances, including eviction from care facilities.
The total alleged losses exceed $740,000 when combined with resulting tax liabilities that went unpaid, according to the report.
Madeya was arrested in mid-August in Vero Beach, Florida, where he had been living, and now awaits transfer to face trial in Pennsylvania.
The Catholic Church suspended him from his duties earlier in 2024 amid the ongoing probe.
Officials describe the case as a betrayal of trust that affected multiple parishes under the Eparchy of St. Josaphat. The Attorney General of Pennsylvania, Dave Sunday, said,
“It is unconscionable to see a supposed man of God exploiting not only the churches he served, but his own mother. This defendant abused the trust of those around him, and left them to recover from mammoth financial losses.”
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