FLORIDA
Tampa Bay Times
Keeley Sheehan, Times Staff Writer
TAMPA — The pastor of a West Tampa Catholic church hanged himself with a leather belt this week amid an investigation the diocese was conducting into parish finances, authorities said.
Around 8 a.m. Monday, a maintenance man found Father Vladimir Dziadek at the bottom of a staircase inside the administrative offices of St. Joseph Catholic Church, 3012 W Cherry St., according to a Tampa Police Department incident log.
A belt was found tied to the banister. No note was found, the incident log said.
According to a report by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office, a Tampa police officer said the Rev. Dziadek, 56, was depressed after parishioners discovered he had embezzled about $200,000 from the church and “gambled it away.”
The report said the officer noted that Rev. Dziadek had been removed from administrative duties at the church and had a hearing with church members set for Monday.
Liquor bottles and casino vouchers were found in his room, the report said, without providing elaboration.
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