So much for that vow of poverty, eh?
http://www.bergen.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2OTQzMTg5JnlyaXJ5N2Y3MTdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5Mg==
FREEHOLD -- A priest who pleaded guilty to looting thousands of
dollars from his parish to finance his lavish lifestyle was sentenced
Friday to five years in state prison.
The Rev. Joseph W. Hughes admitted in last month's plea that he
embezzled more than $75,000 from the Church of the Holy Cross in
Rumson. Monmouth County prosecutors say he actually took more than $2
million over seven years, spending it on vacations at top hotels,
expensive dinners and limousine fares.
In a brief statement before state Superior Court Judge Bette E.
Uhrmacher, the 62-year-old priest apologized several times.
"I betrayed the trust of the people and I am truly and heartfeltly
sorry," Hughes said.
Defense lawyer Michael Pappa said Hughes gave away hundreds of
thousands of church dollars to needy parishioners and -- as religious
rules permit -- did not document those gifts.
Pappa and Hughes said any excesses were prompted by the pressures of
raising money for a planned church expansion and ministering to the
grieving after the Sept. 11th terror attacks.
"My way of dealing with that stress was to give and give," Hughes
said.
But prosecutors say Hughes' profligate spending dates to 1997 and
included the purchase of a Porsche and other luxury vehicles,
expensive jewelry and $50,000 in limousine fares to and from Broadway
shows in Manhattan.
Some of those expenditures -- including a $200,000 home -- were on
behalf of the family of a mentally handicapped young man Hughes hired
as the church's carpenter, but prosecutors said the priest, too,
partook of those luxuries.
"This was party-time money they enjoyed but didn't need," Assistant
Prosecutor John Loughrey told the judge.
Uhrmacher recommended that Hughes be assigned to a minimum security
prison with hospital facilities because he has diabetes and
heart-related ailments.
Hughes has agreed to return the money to the church and pay $120,229
in state income taxes, although both sides acknowledged that the
likelihood of recovering all of that money was slim. So far Hughes has
repaid $72,000 raised from equity from the sale of the carpenter's
house and other assets.
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Yang
a.a. #28
AthD (h.c.) conferred by the regents of the LCL
a.a. pastor #-273.15, the most frigid church of Celcius nee Kelvin
EAC Econometric Forecast and Sorcery Division
The Bush 'balanced' budget: 2 trillion and worsening
The Bush 'economic' policy: 12.5 million FEWER jobs than Clinton and counting
The Bush Iraq lie: -2473 GIs, one friend's co-worker's son and mounting
Having Bush ***** up my country: Worthless
-----
"Ahhhhhh, yessssssss, ummmmmmm - Alito, Alito, Alito"
-duke (duckgumbo@cox.net), aka PedophilEarl J Weber, 59
year old mateless, heirless biological failure
of Afton Oaks Apartment, Baton Rouge,who pussied
out of the Vietnam draft, showing his gay side
despite his avowed anti-gay bigotry
Contact duke's priest and ask
him why duke is such a racist:
http://www.stpatrickbr.org/
Father Gerard "Jerry" Martin
stpatrickbr<AT>bellsouth<DOT>net
Saint Patrick Catholic Church
12424 Brogdon Lane
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70816
.
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