PD: Seymour priest arrested for embezzling money from church

By Macy Corica
WTNH
March 1, 2016

http://wtnh.com/2016/03/01/pd-seymour-priest-arrested-for-embezzling-money-from-church/

SEYMOUR, Conn. (WTNH) — A Roman Catholic Priest has been arrested for allegedly embezzling money from his church.

On Monday, 50-year-old Father Honore Kombo of Weston turned himself in to Seymour police after learning of a warrant for his arrest. Kombo was a Pastor at the St. Augustine Church, located at 135 Washington Avenue in Seymour.

In April of 2015, police began investigating Kombo after representatives from the Hartford Roman Catholic Diocesan Corporation told them of concerns that Kombo had stolen money left to the church by a deceased parishioner. Police say that parishioner had left the money through a series of monetary annuities. It was believed that four annuities had been left for St. Augustine parish, but detectives found that a fifth annuity had been left, but was never reported to church officials by Kombo.

Police say that Kombo had filed the necessary paperwork requesting the proceeds for the fifth annuity and that on May 6, 2013, Kombo received a check made payable to the St. Augustine Church for the large sum of money. According to police, Kombo then opened a bank account at a local bank, deposited the annuity proceeds into the account, then withdrew a large sum of it and deposited it into his personal bank account.

Detectives also discovered several other checks written to the church had been deposited into Kombo’s personal bank account.

The investigation also showed that on October 18, 2013, Kombo opened a line of credit account at a bank in the church’s name to utilize the church’s tax identification information. Police say Kombo then utilized funds from this line of credit and deposited a majority of the funds into his personal bank account.

Kombo has been charged with one count of first-degree larceny. He was released after posting $10,000 bond and is due in court on March 14.