A retired Catholic elementary school nun in Torrance, California, has agreed to plead guilty to embezzling more than $800,000 from the school to pay for personal expenses, including a gambling habit.
Mary Margaret Kreuper was charged Tuesday with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. A plea agreement was also filed.
In her plea agreement, Kreuper acknowledged stealing money to pay for personal expenses that included “large gambling expenses incurred at casinos,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Kreuper was the school principal at St. James Catholic School for nearly three decades.
From the Los Angeles Times, “A statement from Kreuper’s attorney, Mark Byrne, said that Kreuper is ‘very remorseful for what happened,’ describing how she became a nun at 18 and has dedicated her life to helping others.”
Kreuper faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
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