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	Marr Pleads Guilty to Theft By Steve Sharp Daily Times December 8, 2010 http://www.wdtimes.com/articles/2010/12/08/news/news3.txt Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Weston on Tuesday accepted former Watertown priest, the Rev. Thomas Marr's guilty pleas to charges of theft in a business setting and theft by fraud. The matter was then adjourned for completion of a presentence investigation report. The maximum possible penalty for theft is a term of imprisonment not to exceed 10 years or a $10,000 fine, or both, relating to each count. Marr, 64, is a former priest at Watertown's St. Bernard Catholic Church. A criminal complaint in the matter stated that, between 2007 and 2009, Marr took money from various parish accounts. In addition, Marr also allegedly solicited funds from members of the parish, family members, other clergy and friends, representing that he intended to use the funds to assist parish members in financial distress. Marr promised that he would repay these people quickly. During this period, Marr provided the funds he obtained from the parish and others to assist Arthur Eith in recovering money that Eith claimed was owed him from an overseas business transaction. Eith had financial dealings in Africa. Marr and Eith's methods of funding became tangled up with numerous members of the church. It was believed by investigators that Marr borrowed amounts as small as $800 and as much as $47,000 from particular individuals. Officials from the state's Department of Justice said that, at the request of the Watertown police, they investigated allegations of misappropriated funds from St. Bernard's, where Marr had served. Church bills went unpaid for a period of time that is when an investigation began. The problems with finances began to be noticed around November of 2008 when St. Bernard's Administrative Assistant Sue Nampel noticed that bills were unpaid. President of St. Bernard's Church Thomas Levi indicated to investigators that he had learned the church had approximately $100,000 to $125,000 in unpaid bills. St. Bernard's Bookkeeper and Business Manager Alan Rein-hard could not provide a good explanation for the unpaid bills and an IOU from Marr was subsequently discovered. The books were reviewed by Thomas O'Connor, an independent CPA and member of the church and discrepancies were found. That led to getting authorities involved. Marr's charges were the overall result of investigations by the Watertown Police Department and the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant Attorney General Donald V. Latorraca represented the state. A civil case involving the congregation of St. Bernard against Eith was dismissed in July in Jefferson County and any criminal charges against Eith relating to the St. Bernard's matter are not reflected in information provided by the state. Monsignor Dan Ganshert of St. Bernard's told the Daily Times this morning that St. Bernard's has recovered about 60 percent of its lost funds through payments from its insurance company. “We are very grateful for that,” he said. Ganshert said the church is also expressing its “peripheral support” to Marr. “The entire parish is doing so,” he said.
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