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	Report Shows Priest Admitted Misappropriating Church Funds By Jerome Burdi and Chrystian Tejedor Sun Herald October 6, 2006 http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/nation/15699421.htm Delray Beach, Fla. - Greeted by police set to arrest him on grand theft charges at Palm Beach International Airport last month, the Rev. John Skehan "blurted out" that he had misappropriated money from St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church, a search warrant released Friday shows. In fact, Skehan admitted several times that he misdirected money from the church, but told investigators he saw himself as the CEO of a multimillion-dollar company who wasn't properly compensated, the warrant shows. "Skehan gave his opinion that he was never properly paid by the diocese, he was running a big business and getting nothing for it," the search warrant says. ". . . He took what he had coming to him, as the diocese was cheap and never paid for his education." In discussing how much was misappropriated, Skehan told police it was a "mountain of money," the document shows. But in the same breath, the 79-year-old retired pastor also told investigators that a lot of that money was used on other people. Police have charged Skehan and his successor, the Rev. Francis Guinan, 63, with stealing more than $400,000 from the parish's donations. A forensic audit conducted by the Diocese of Palm Beach alleges the pair misappropriated $8.7 million. According to the warrant, Skehan said the money, in many cases, was for other people. He said he left in his will $4 million in a school endowment fund and admitted to a second, $2.7 million hidden fund that he planned to hand over when he retired. He told police he paid a previous co-worker $675 a week, feeling "obligated" to help her because she had health issues. He paid a former church employee while she worked and attended school. None of the cash from offertory collections ever was deposited into legitimate accounts, Skehan told police. Instead they were funneled into two accounts, named "Holy Name" and "St. Vincent Ferrer Church." When authorities met Skehan at the airport, he was quick with details of his scheme, according to the search warrant. Even before being read his Miranda warning, Skehan "blurted out" that he misappropriated money from the church, the warrant shows. Skehan again confessed to misappropriating the funds, when he was in the police interview room, and admitted setting up "slush fund accounts," which were in place when Guinan took over as pastor. Skehan also told police that Guinan, who police said took the scheme into overdrive, even took money from the Easter collections, leaving bookkeepers with empty envelopes. Throughout his interrogation, Skehan wove in compliments for himself as pastor for 40 years, saying "he had put $300,000 willed to the church into one of the slush funds to avoid diocese scrutiny." He also admitted directing the church staff to create two sets of books to shield the actual amount of offertory money from the diocese, fearing it would take money from the church. Skehan told police he mistakenly put his name on the deed for property in North Carolina donated to the church, and that he placed $10,000 with an investment company called Shag Inc. Details released Friday show Skehan had a penchant for collecting coins. A search of his Delray Beach home - at 607 N.E. Eighth Ave., around the corner from the church - revealed his taste for silver commemorative coins of Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush, Eisenhower silver dollars, Indian Head coins and miscellaneous international silver, gold and platinum coins. Guinan, who retired in 2005 amid the diocese's investigation, remains at large, and was on a trip to Australia, Singapore and Ireland when police pressed charges. He hired high-profile attorney David Roth - who also now represents former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley - to negotiate the terms of his surrender with the state attorney. That agreement calls for Guinan to surrender by the end of the month. He would have to spend a night in the Palm Beach County Jail, then make an initial court appearance just like anyone else, State Attorney Barry Krischer said. "I appreciate (Roth) not making me do an international extradition," Krischer said. Skehan, meanwhile, is free after posting a $400,000 bail Sept. 29. His lawyer, Ken Johnson, could not be reached for comment, despite an attempt by phone.
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