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	Suspended Priest Admits to Theft Rodis Pleads Guilty to 2 Federal Counts; to Repay $400,000 By Tom Campbell Richmond Times-Dispatch October 27, 2007 http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2007-10-27-0173.html The Rev. Rodney L. Rodis admitted stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Suspended Catholic priest Rodney L. Rodis pleaded guilty yesterday to two of the federal fraud and money-laundering counts against him for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from his parishioners. "Guilty, your honor," the ailing, 51-year-old Rodis said in court when U.S. District Judge Richard L. Williams asked him for his plea to one count each of mail fraud and money laundering. Rodis will be sentenced Feb. 21. In a statement filed as part of the guilty plea, Rodis admitted soliciting and then stealing donations from parishioners of St. Jude Church and the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Starting in 1993, Rodis served as pastor of both of the Louisa County churches. About a dozen parishioners from St. Jude's were in court yesterday. "I wanted to witness the proceedings," said William Hynes. "I'm not as angry now as I have been. I feel today is a big step toward justice and closing this case." Hynes said he hopes to see Rodis make restitution and serve some jail time. Both charges to which Rodis pleaded guilty carry a maximum prison term of 20 years. That will be up to the judge. In his plea agreement with prosecutors, Rodis has agreed to repay the Catholic Diocese of Richmond at least $400,000. Prosecutors have said Rodis stole at least $515,000. Authorities yesterday said none of the money has yet been recovered from the Philippine National Bank, where Rodis wired it. Rodis came to this country from his native Philippines in 1991 and was assigned to serve the two churches in 1993. Hebegan embezzling around September 2002. He retired as a priest in May 2006, citing health reasons. Rodis hid from his parishioners and the diocese not only that he was stealing money, but that he was living with his wife and three children just outside Fredericksburg, about 50 miles away. William Etherington, a lawyer for the Catholic Diocese, said Rodis was married in the Philippines before he came to this country. According to his statement, Rodis as spiritual leader solicited donations from parishioners for church programs and expenses. When they sent in personal checks, money orders and the like, he directed money into his own accounts at two Virginia banks and then wired it to the Philippines. The embezzled money was used to support Rodis' family. Some of the money wired to the Philippines was used by Rodis' relatives there to, among other things, purchase real estate. Rodis was indicted in August by a federal grand jury with a total of 13 federal counts -- eight of mail fraud, two of wire fraud and three of money-laundering. The prosecution started as a state case in Louisa County Circuit Court, where he was charged with multiple counts of embezzlement, but was transferred to federal court because the U.S. government has greater resources to recover stolen money from overseas. Yesterday, his lawyer, Rob Wagner of the federal public defender's office, said Rodis "is extremely remorseful" and wants the church members to know that. "He will be working with the government in assisting them to recover and return to the church the money that was taken," Wagner said. Rodis is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian L. Whisler and G. Wingate Grant. The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Virginia State Police. Contact Tom Campbell at (804) 649-6416 or tcampbell@timesdispatch.com.
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