Atl. City Pastor Id'd As Anne Beau's Holy 'Shill'
By Kati Cornell, Jeane Macintosh and Dan Mangan
New York Post
June 30, 2008
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06302008/news/regionalnews/the_priest_who_preyed_117838.htm
An Atlantic City pastor was one of two Catholic monsignors hired by accused con artist Raffaello Follieri, allegedly to dupe real-estate investors into thinking he had close Vatican connections, The Post has learned.
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| 'SINFUL': Monsignor William Hodge allegedly received payments to boost Raffaello Follieri, here with actress Anne Hathaway. |
Monsignor William Hodge, of St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church, was paid with money Follieri obtained from billionaire Ron Burkle, whom Follieri was accused of defrauding to fund his jet-set lifestyle with his then-girlfriend, "Get Smart" actress Anne Hathaway, sources said.
PAGE SIX MAGAZINE: Profile on Raffaello Follieri
It is not known whether Hodge, a pastor for 10 years, was the same monsignor whom Follieri, according to the criminal complaint, asked to put on the robe of "a more senior clergyman" to create the illusion of having top-level church ties.
Hodge - who has not been charged - has known Follieri since at least 2006, when the Italian national was trying to buy a long-closed Catholic school in Atlantic City.
That deal fell through because Follieri's company "failed to meet their obligations under the [purchase] agreement," said Andrew Walton, spokesman for the Diocese of Camden, for which Hodge is a priest.
Hodge is on vacation in Ireland and could not be reached for comment. Walton, also unable to reach him, said the diocese was unaware of Hodge being paid or hired by Follieri in any capacity.
But Walton said that if he is one of the unnamed monsignors cited in the complaint against Follieri, his actions "would be totally and completely inappropriate."
Follieri, 29, was arrested Tuesday on federal wire-fraud and money-laundering charges for allegedly misusing up to $6 million investors had placed with him to buy and redevelop Catholic Church properties. He remains jailed in lieu of $21 million bail.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York disputed Follieri's claims of having had extensive dealings with Edward Cardinal Egan.
"At two receptions years ago, Mr. Follieri introduced himself to the cardinal. The cardinal has never had a conversation or any other involvement with him apart from this," spokesman Joseph Zwilling said yesterday.
Contact: kati.cornell@nypost.com
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