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	$25,000 Bail Set for Priest Accused of Stealing from Edgewater Parish Chicago Tribune August 21, 2008 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-priest-theft-bond-web-aug22,0,272838.story Bail of $25,000 was set Thursday for a Chicago-area Roman Catholic priest accused of stealing from his former North Side parish. Rev. Steven Patte, 64, pleaded not guilty earlier this month to charges of theft, money laundering and other financial crimes. Authorities say Patte stole a little more than $12,000 from St. Ita's Parish in Edgewater between May 2004 and July 2005. Investigation into Patte began when a Chicago police detective who belonged to the parish's finance committee grew suspicious about accounting discrepancies. The detective placed a marked $100 bill in the collection plate, and when the bill disappeared, Patte was confronted and allegedly admitted that he took the money for his personal use, sources said. Patte left St. Ita's in 2006 as part of a routine reassignment and went to St. Emily Parish in Mt. Prospect. He has since stepped down from St. Emily and is living in a private residence, according to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.
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