Criminal Law
Prosecutors Say a Nun Stole $835,000 From a Catholic Elementary School to Fund Her Gambling Habit
A retired California nun has agreed to plead guilty to stealing $835,339 from a Catholic elementary school where she was the principal — in part to fund her gambling habit.
Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, is charged with one count of money laundering and one count of wire fraud, the Justice Department announced Tuesday. It said she agreed to plead to both federal charges, which carry a maximum prison term of 40 years.
According to prosecutors, Kreuper was the principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance for 28 years and admitted to embezzling money from the institution for a decade, ending in 2018.
