BishopAccountability.org
	Talk of Deal for Warren Priest Due in Court Friday, Where Attorney Will Try to Have Some Charges Nixed By Tom Quigley The Express-Times April 10, 2008 http://www.nj.com/news/expresstimes/nj/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1207800408252770.xml&coll=2 BELVIDERE | A plea bargain appears imminent in the case of the former pastor of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Washington, according to a letter filed Monday in state Superior Court. The Rev. Robert Ascolese — who faces a 32-count indictment involving theft-related charges — is scheduled to appear Friday before state Superior Court Judge John Pursel. But his attorney is seeking permission to appeal Pursel's March 11 decision denying a motion to dismiss some charges. Attorney Marvin Wright only wants a 15-day extension. The "tentative plea agreement" calls for the defense to drop the appeal if a plea bargain is reached, according to Wright's letter. As of Wednesday, Pursel had not ruled on Wright's request. Warren County Assistant Prosecutor Craig Barto is representing the state and has been accused by the defense of prosecutorial misconduct, a move he characterizes as foot-dragging by the defense. About 20 months have slipped by since a Warren County grand jury indicted the priest on Sept. 20, 2006, which followed months of investigation by the Warren County Prosecutor's Office. Ascolese allegedly swindled parishioners and agencies using sophisticated scams designed to funnel raffle money and charitable donations to what authorities now concede was a misguided effort to save the parish school. The priest is also charged with scamming Catholic Charities by reporting eight phony church donations to homeless people that were reimbursed by the social services agency. Authorities allege Ascolese's biggest cash cow was the annual St. Joseph's Powerball Raffle to raise money for the former St. Joseph's Catholic Academy. Ascolese allegedly managed the scam by setting himself up as the only person who actually saw the winning ticket during the annual drawing and then placing it where no one else could see it. The raffle involved the sale of 4,000 $100 tickets, generating a total of $400,000. Half went to the academy, half to the winners. But in some cases the winners were people who did not exist, authorities said. Ascolese allegedly set up phony names of nonexistent people or people who did not participate in the raffle. In one case, authorities allege he issued a $100,000 grand prize check to an organization he controlled. Once the cashed check came back with the monthly statement, the priest allegedly replaced it with a phony check written to the fictitious winner. That alleged theft occurred July 5, 2005, when Ascolese allegedly wrote the phony duplicate check to Thomas and Theresa Carroll to cover his tracks, authorities allege. The Carrolls do not exist, authorities said. Reporter Tom Quigley can be reached at 908-475-8184 or by e-mail at tquigley@express-times.com
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