Marie Carson, 72 years old stole almost $574,000 from a Catholic church in 13 year and for punishment, she’s facing two years in federal jail and is ordered to pay everything back.
Isn’t the sentence too lenient and too mild for that kind of looting?
Carson pleaded guilty to wire fraud after being accused of illegally transferring the money from the business accounts of Saint Matthew Catholic Church and School in Indianapolis to her personal bank accounts, as reported through a news release from the United States Department of Justice.
“The sentence imposed (Feb. 13, 2023) sends a clear message to those who might seek to steal, defraud, and embezzle: we will find you, you will be prosecuted, and you will be held accountable,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.
2 Years In Jail?
Accountable and persecuted, yes, but is a two-year jail term enough?
U.S. District Court Judge Chief Tanya Walton Pratt ordered that Carson be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for two years after her release from federal prison and that she pay $573,836.59 in restitution.
How the looting started
Between 2008-21, Carson was employed as a business manager at the parish and was tasked with processing checks and other financial transactions. She was the sole staff member in charge of managing the parish’s finances.
During that time, Carson made false entries into the parish’s database used to track payments.
Investigation revealed that $573,836.59 was transferred into accounts benefitting Carson, though investigators say the actual amount stolen is likely much higher as Carson later admitted to stealing as far back as 2004.
“For more than a decade, the defendant abused the trust of the church and its parishioners to line her own pocket,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton.
“The why”
A significant amount of money was used by Carson and her husband for casino gambling and an annual, month-long vacation to Florida, the news release stated.
“Her greed and desire for lavish vacations outweighed her interest in following the dictates of our criminal laws and the teachings of her church, ‘thou shalt not steal,’” said Myers.
Exposed
Carson’s evil deed was exposed in November of 2021 when she was on leave from her position, prosecutors said. Caught and judged, she now serves her jail sentencing.
Carson’s temporary replacement noticed transfers from the parish’s gaming account to an external bank account. More than $289,000 in transfers was discovered to multiple accounts, including a phantom account Carson made in the church’s name.
“This scheme was fueled by pure greed,” Stapleton said.