Man Stole Identity, Sought $1 Million from Catholic Church Sex Abuse Settlement

By Kevin Grasha
Cincinnati Enquirer
May 4, 2018

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/crime/crime-and-courts/2018/05/04/feds-man-stole-identity-sought-1-million-catholic-sex-abuse-settlement/578587002/

A Covington man used another person's identity to try to collect $1 million from a settlement fund for victims of sexual abuse by the Catholic Church, court documents say.

According to a federal indictment unsealed this week, the 32-year-old Covington man had already been awarded $750,000 for a claim he filed in 2006. The charges he faces do not involve that claim.

Prosecutors say he obtained the birth certificate of another person, created an email address in that person's name, and in 2014 submitted a fraudulent claim for compensation as part of the settlement involving the Diocese of Covington.

Prosecutors say he used the person's name, date of birth and social security number in the compensation request, which was for approximately $1 million.

As part of a landmark 2003 settlement in the class-action case John Doe, et al. v. Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington, a fund was created for victims of abuse that eventually totaled $90 million.

More than 250 people were awarded money from the fund, out of approximately 400 who applied, Robert Steinberg, a lead attorney on the case, said in an interview.

The sexual abuse happened over several decades, from the 1940s until the 1990s. Allegations ranged from inappropriate touching to repeated instances of rape, court documents say.

Each person was awarded money based on the severity of abuse. Under a formula approved by the courts, awards could range from a few thousand dollars to $1 million.

People who said they were victims had to submit a sworn confidential claim form to attorneys appointed to oversee the fund, the indictment says. The attorneys would then send the claim form to the Diocese.

Part of the money, approximately $4.5 million, was set aside for people who were minors during the settlement process. They could file claims until October 2015. The man charged this week made the fraudulent claim through that fund, the indictment says.

The man is charged in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He faces up to 32 years in prison, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The Enquirer does not name alleged victims of sexual crimes.

Contact: kgrasha@enquirer.com