By Leon Fooksman
sun-sentinel.com & NewsChannel 5
October 23, 2006
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-1023delray
priest,0,5712437.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines
Delray Beach – A missing priest accused of helping steal more than $400,000 in offerings and gifts at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church has turned himself in to authorities in Miami.
The Rev. Francis Guinan was being held at the Miami-Dade County Jail after surrendering to police at Miami International Airport on Sunday. He bond is expected to be set today at $50,000, according to the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office.
Guinan was in Australia and other tourist destinations when the Rev. John Skehan, pastor at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church for four decades until his retirement several years ago, was arrested on the same charges.
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| Francis B. Guinan (Delray Beach Police) Oct 23, 2006 |
Greeted by police set to arrest him on grand theft charges at Palm Beach International Airport last month, Skehan, age 79, "blurted out that he had misappropriated money" from St. Vincent, a search warrant shows.
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| John A. Skehan (Delray Beach Police) Oct 23, 2006 |
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.
In discussing how much was misappropriated, Skehan told police it was a "mountain of money," the document shows.
Police have charged Skehan and his successor, Guinan, age 63, with stealing more than $400,000 from the parish's donations. An audit conducted by the Diocese of Palm Beach alleges the pair misappropriated $8.7 million.
Guinan, who retired in 2005 amid the diocese's investigation, was vacationing in Australia, Singapore and Ireland when police filed charges.
He hired high-profile attorney David Roth -- who also represents former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley -- to negotiate the terms of his surrender with the state attorney.
Skehan is free after posting a $400,000 bail on Sept. 29.
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