Detroit Priest Accused of Defrauding Fund for Needy ...

Detroit News
February 12, 2014

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140212/METRO01/302120053/1361/Detroit-priest-accused-of-defrauding-fund-for-needy-area-families-to-be-arraigned-today

Detroit — A local priest and an alleged accomplice accused of defrauding an inner-city charity program were arraigned Wednesday in 36th District Court.

The Rev. Timothy Kane, 57, who had been serving at St. Moses the Black Parish in Detroit, was formally charged Wednesday, along with Dorreca Marvie Brewer, 34, of Jackson, with six felony counts in connection with missing money from the Angel Fund, which provides aid to the needy in Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck.

According to Prosecutor Kym Worthy, Kane conspired with Brewer to allegedly steal money from the charity fund by filing and approving false applications. Between August 2008 and July 2012, the pair allegedly convinced others who did not need the money to supply their information in exchange for a cut of the profits, Worthy said.

36th District Court Magistrate Millicent Sherman set $10,000 personal bonds for both defendants.

Brewer has a prior criminal record, according to information released in court Wednesday.

Kane and Brewer, who was not believed to be employed by the Archdiocese of Detroit, received thousands of dollars from the fraudulent transactions, Worthy said.

Brewer was arrested Tuesday.

Kane’s attorney Stevemn Scharg said he could not describe the relationship between Kane and Brewer. He said his client maintains his innocence and “is very embarrassed” by the charges.

Worthy said the amount the two allegedly stole is between $1,000 and $20,000.

The charges against Kane are:

■ Criminal enterprise conspiracy, a 20-year felony.

■ Using computers to commit a crime, a 20-year felony.

■ Uttering and publishing, a 14-year felony.

■ Conspiracy to commit uttering and publishing, a 14-year felony.

■ Embezzlement from a charitable institution, $1,000 to $20,000, a 10-year felony

■ Conspiracy to commit embezzlement from a charitable institution, $1,000 to $20,000, a 10-year felony

The archdiocese said in a statement that Kane has been removed from the ministry.

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The archdiocese described the Angel Fund as “a little-known charitable program ... that has been funded by an anonymous donor family. Since 2005, the Angel Fund has granted more than $17 million to needy individuals and families. The fund is not supported by weekend collections at parishes, the Catholic Services Appeal or the Changing Lives Together capital campaign, the archdiocese said.

The charity has not been widely publicized per the donor family’s wishes, archdiocese officials said Tuesday.

Asked about safeguards and greater oversight that might have prevented possible misuse of the fund, the archdiocese officials said the donor family had intended to simplify the process for those in need.

“They did not want bureaucracy on top of bureaucracy because they were afraid that the added layers of bureaucracy would hinder money getting to people who really needed it,” said Msgr. Michael Bugarin, the archbishop’s delegate for cases involving clergy misconduct.

Ordained in 1982, Kane previously served at parishes in Wyandotte, Clawson and Detroit, the archdiocese said. In 2008, he became associate pastor at Detroit’s Church of the Madonna and St. Gregory the Great as well as St. Benedict in Highland Park, according to the archdiocese said. The three merged in July to form St. Moses the Black.

Contact: bwilliams@detnews.com