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Troy Priest Sentenced to 27 Months in Fraud

By Candice Williams
Detroit News
December 1, 2015

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2015/12/01/priest-stole-money-faces-possible-prison-sentence/76600586/



A priest who pleaded guilty to mail fraud in connection with stealing $573,000 from St. Thomas More Parish in Troy was sentenced Tuesday to 27 months in prison.

The sentence for Rev. Ed Belczak, handed down by U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Tarnow, was below sentencing guidelines and federal prosecutors’ request.

Before the sentencing, Belczak, 70, said he accepted full responsibility for his actions at St. Thomas More Parish where he was pastor for nearly 30 years.

“I was selfish,” he told the judge. “I stole money that did not belong to me.”

Belczak said he has dealt with depression and thoughts of suicide. As part of his sentence, Tarnow ordered him to undergo mental health counseling.

The government said Belczak “took what he pleased” from the parish to buy a Florida condominium from his parish office manager and invest in stocks. According to federal prosecutors, he created false annual financial reports that were mailed to the Archdiocese of Detroit that concealed his theft.

Belczak pleaded guilty in September to mail fraud in the embezzlement scheme. Investigators said he stole about $573,000.

“Father Belczak’s crime was not an isolated incident or a momentary lapse of judgment, but an orchestrated scheme perpetrated over time to defraud the people he claimed to serve,” U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said in a statement. “It is a sad day when someone in a position of trust betrays that relationship, but it is important to ensure that no one is above the law. This sentence demonstrates that individuals will be held accountable when they steal significant sums of money that are entrusted to them.”

Tarnow ordered Belczak to pay restitution of $572,775.32. He agreed to forfeit the condo and five investment accounts to cover the restitution.

Belczak is free on bond and expected to report to what likely will be a minimum-security facility, said his attorney, Jerome Sabbota. After his release, he will have two years of supervision.

Sabbota, who had asked for probation or home confinement, said he considered the prison term “a little high,” but understood that the judge had to send a message to discourage others from committing such a crime.

The Archdiocese of Detroit has restricted Belczak from public ministry and presenting himself as a priest. That includes wearing a clerical collar.

“There is a lot of hurt resulting from this crime,” said archdiocese spokesman Ned McGrath in a statement. “A lot of wounded people. We continue to pray for healing at the parish and for all those impacted, including Fr. Belczak.”

Now that the court case has ended, the archdiocese will resume proceedings under canon (church) law against Belczak.

In a related case, Janice Verschuren, the former office manager at St. Thomas More, pleaded guilty last month to stealing more than $25,000 from the parish, according to the Archdiocese of Detroit. She will be sentenced next year.

Despite his crime, Belczak had the support of many people who had asked Tarnow to keep him out of prison, Sabbota said. He said running a large, prosperous parish was stressful.

Contact: cwilliams@detroitnews.com

(313) 222-2311

 

 

 

 

 




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