Greek Orthodox priest could enter plea Monday in church theft case

By Robert Mccoppin
Chicago Tribune
February 22, 2016

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/glenview/news/ct-greek-orthodox-priest-theft-plea-met-20160222-story.html

The Rev. James Dokos, left, and his attorney Patrick Knight appear in court in Milwaukee on July 18, 2014.

A Greek Orthodox priest charged with stealing more than $100,000 from his church has entered a guilty plea.

The Rev. James Dokos was accused of taking the money from a trust fund that was intended to benefit Annunciation Church in Milwaukee and spending it on himself, family members and other church leaders, including cash gifts to a high-ranking church official in Chicago.

Dokos was later transferred to Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Glenview but was suspended after he was charged with felony theft in Milwaukee.

Under a settlement approved in Milwaukee court Monday morning, Dokos agreed to plead guilty to felony theft and prosecutors agreed to reduce the case to a misdemeanor if the priest meets the terms of the agreement. He must pay full restitution, which he has done, and he must serve 40 hours of community service.

In court, Dokos told the judge he understood the terms but he did not speak further. He also left court without commenting.

Prosecutor David Robles called the outcome "appropriate" and said it should bring "closure" to the case. Robles said he presented the terms of the deal to church officials in Milwaukee last week and they were generally supportive of it.

The felony charges roiled the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago, causing rifts between the church hierarchy in Chicago and some leaders and members of both the Glenview and Milwaukee parishes. Metropolis leaders, who oversee dozens of churches in the Midwest, ousted the parish council president in Glenview after he raised questions about how the internal investigation was handled, and other members left in protest. The priest who replaced Dokos in Milwaukee, and who had spoken out about the case, was later transferred.

Before church leaders in Milwaukee contacted local authorities about concerns over the trust fund, the Metropolis' internal investigation had determined that Dokos had spent the money in accordance with the wishes of the couple who had willed the money to the church.

Court records and a Tribune investigation showed that Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos, the No. 2 official in the Metropolis, received thousands of dollars in checks written from the trust fund account and signed by Dokos over about a three-year period. A spokesman later described such gifts to priests as "honoraria" that are traditional in the church and said the source was not questioned.

The bishop was later warned by a Milwaukee prosecutor about "potential efforts to intimidate witnesses" in the case related to emails he exchanged with the Milwaukee priest who was later transferred.

Before Dokos left Annunciation in 2012, he controlled the seven-figure trust fund. The vast majority of the money in the fund — more than $1.1 million — was paid to the church, but court records indicate that Dokos spent thousands on personal expenses, such as jewelry for his wife, shopping trips and pricey dinners, and gave monetary gifts to family members as well as the church leaders.After Dokos was transferred to the Glenview church, leaders at Annunciation began looking at the trust fund records and began raising questions about how the money was spent. They first reported their concerns to the Metropolis in 2013.

Metropolis officials argued that the matter should be settled by the church internally, rather than in court.

Jim Gottreich is the former Sts. Peter and Paul parish council president who was ousted by Metropolis officials after asking them to place Dokos on leave during the criminal investigation. If Dokos is convicted of theft, Gottreich said he believes the priest should serve time.

"He has destroyed two churches," Gottreich said. "I'd like to see him go to jail."

He also objected to the handling of the matter by church leadership, saying, "The fish rots from the head." Parish attendance and donations have been down since the incident, he added.

Dokos had missed several court appearances since he has been charged, absences that have been mostly attributed by his lawyers to health problems.