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  Police: Swissvale Priest Stole $143k over 10 Years

WPXI
September 8, 2011

http://www.wpxi.com/news/29120239/detail.html

A Swissvale priest has been charged with stealing more than $143,000 from his parish from 1999 to 2009, officials said.

The Rev. Francis Drabiska was charged Thursday with one count of theft by unlawful taking, according to Allegheny County prosecutors.

Drabiska resigned from Saint Anselm parish last year and admitted the theft to church authorities, officials said.

The complaint said that Drabiska had been warned of his extravagant spending by church officials and that he admitted the money was used for a lifestyle beyond his means.

Investigators said Drabiska used the stolen money to purchase designer clothes, household items and theater tickets in New York. Officials said Drabiska also maxed out three credit cards, incurring thousands in interest by making minimum payments.

Drabiska had been a priest since 1976.

 
 

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