October 29, 2005

Priest is guilty of theft

RANDOLPH (NJ)
Philadelphia Inquirer

Associated Press

RANDOLPH, N.J. - A former Randolph priest, removed from his post four years ago over missing money, pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing $360,000 from his parish.

The Rev. William N. Naughton, 61, was forced to resign in 2001 after auditors for the Resurrection Church of Randolph found funds were missing or unaccounted for.

The Roman Catholic priest acknowledged taking the funds between 1996 and 2001, using a charity account he set up at the church.

Naughton's defense attorney, Peter N. Gilbreth, told the Daily Record of Parsippany that the majority of the money was used to support Harold B. Reid III, a man with whom the priest had a brief sexual relationship in the 1970s.

Posted by kshaw at October 29, 2005 08:55 AM