Ex Pastor Accused of Embezzlement Turns Himself in, by Christopher Burbach, Omaha World-Herald, June 11, 2008

Ex-Pastor Accused of Embezzlement Turns Himself in

By Christopher Burbach
Omaha World-Herald
June 11, 2008

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10355423

he Rev. Rodney Adams told a judge Wednesday that he is being treated for mental illness, but he did not blame the condition for his embezzlement of more than $83,000 from St. Bridget Catholic Church, one of two south Omaha parishes that he had served as pastor.

Rodney Adams

Adams pleaded guilty in Douglas County District Court to a charge of felony theft by deception. He had turned himself in to Omaha police earlier in the day.

Judge Russell Bowie released Adams pending a Sept. 10 sentencing. Adams is to begin an inpatient treatment program today, said his attorney, James Schaefer.

Adams, 43, earlier had resigned as pastor of St. Bridget and his other parish, St. Rose. He is on administrative leave as a priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha, said the Rev. Joseph Taphorn, chancellor of the archdiocese.

Adams stole money from St. Bridget in two ways over five years, Deputy Douglas County Attorney Jim Masteller said in court. When first assigned to the parish in June 2003, Adams told the parish bookkeeper to pay him $1,375 a month in salary. That was double the amount Adams was supposed to receive from St. Bridget, because St. Rose was paying half his salary. So Adams received more pay than he was supposed to receive from June 2003 until the archdiocese discovered the overpayment in March 2008. That overpayment totaled $51,231.74, Masteller said.

Adams also wrote multiple checks, totaling $31,800, from the St. Bridget Bazaar account, Masteller told the judge.

Schaefer declined to comment on how the stolen money was spent. He said it was not spent on gambling or any illicit activity.

In a telephone interview, Taphorn said the archdiocese will monitor Adams' progress in the treatment program and will later determine whether he can return to parish work.

Adams has taken responsibility for his actions, including by cooperating with the archdiocese and police investigations and by today's guilty plea, Taphorn said.

The archdiocese hopes to recover the stolen money, Taphorn said. But it's too early to say how the archdiocese will proceed on that front, with Adams' sentencing pending.