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  Buffalo Man Admits Stealing Money from Cheektowaga Church

WIVB
April 5, 2008

http://www.wivb.com/Global/story.asp?S=8119282

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) - - The money was stolen from Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church in Cheektowaga between November 1998 and April 2007.

Frank Clark, Erie County District Attorney, "About two thirds of the money came from cash, you know collection plate money, and the other third came from checks."

Today, the church's former business manager, Randall Kozlowski of Buffalo, admitted he stole nearly 380-thousand dollars from the church, when he pleaded guilty to second degree grand larceny.

Frank Clark, Erie County District Attorney, "I think the parishioners have a resentment, first of all betrayed, and second of all it was their hard earned money that was given to the church to keep the church there that he was taking."

District Attorney Frank Clark says Kozlowski used the money for a gambling addiction. A routine diocesan audit uncovered the missing money, and Kozlowski was fired last April.

Frank Clark, Erie County District Attorney, "That's exactly what he was doing, taking off the top, and nobody checking for all those years."

The Diocese of Buffalo addressed the matter in the March issue of the "Western New York Catholic" Newspaper. The article says "pastors are advised to put in place strong parish internal financial controls and to look for warning signs."

The diocese has developed a fraud policy that encourages the reporting of fraud and embezzlement without fear. And says "since 2006 the diocese has promoted the use of tamper evident bags to secure parish offertory collections".

In this case, the DA says the parish left Kozlowski in control of all financial transactions.

Frank Clark, Erie County District Attorney, "You're begging for trouble when you do that. I don't care whether it's a church, whether it's a small business, I don't care what it is."

  
 
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