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	Ex-Pastor Accused of Taking $83k from Parish By Paul Tennant The Eagle-Tribune November 7, 2010 http://www.eagletribune.com/latestnews/x603547561/Ex-pastor-accused-of-taking-83K-from-parish HAVERHILL — The Rev. Keith LeBlanc is charged with stealing $83,147 from St. John the Baptist Church when he was pastor there. Much of the money was spent on a pornography habit, police said. LeBlanc had a credit card that he used for online pornography, and the card had a $25,000 balance, according to a police report on file at Haverhill District Court. "Father LeBlanc admitted to Dunderdale that he has an addiction and needs help," police Detective Glenn Fogarty wrote in the report, referring to Mark Dunderdale, an attorney who directed the Archdiocese of Boston investigation that led to LeBlanc's removal as St. John's pastor in June. Comcast bills from the church rectory were reviewed, according to the police report, and "adult" movies "started the day Father LeBlanc came to the parish, at a total of $4,021.14." The police report on the investigation became public after LeBlanc's arraignment on charges of forgery and larceny over $250 by continuous scheme. He has been released on personal recognizance bail. The police report also said LeBlanc forged the name of the chairwoman of the parish's Finance Committee on an audit slip. LeBlanc admitted to an investigator hired by the Archdiocese that he used a credit card for online pornography and that he needed help with his addiction to porn, according to the report. Terrence Donilon, communications director for the Archdiocese of Boston, refused to give further details of the investigation. "Because this is an ongoing legal proceeding, it would be inappropriate for me to comment," he said. "That said, we continue to pray for Father LeBlanc, for the parish of St. John the Baptist, and for all those impacted by these events." The Rev. Robert Conole, pastor of Sacred Hearts and All Saints churches in Haverhill and St. Patrick Church in Groveland, said of the local Catholic community, "Prayer is what we all need." Conole said people often expect perfection from the priesthood, but it doesn't always work out that way. At the time LeBlanc left St. John's, the archdiocese said LeBlanc was receiving "pastoral care." Parishioners and other residents were stunned by the popular priest's sudden departure. He was pastor at St. John's for six years. According to Fogarty's report, LeBlanc was sent to St. John Vianney Center in Pennsylvania, which specializes in treating "behavioral health issues" of clergy. A nurse at St. John Vianney Center told The Eagle-Tribune she could neither confirm nor deny whether LeBlanc is a patient there. According to its website, St. John Vianney Center is committed to offering the clergy members who are patients there a "journey of recovery." A statement describes the center as "a faith-centered community that specializes in the treatment of behavioral health issues that are unique to Catholic clergy and consecrated religious, as well as the clergy of other major Christian denominations. Our research-based, multi-disciplinary approach, focuses on recovery, reconciliation and a return to ministry." Fogarty said in his report that he learned in June that the Archdiocese was investigating LeBlanc for possible misappropriation of funds. The detective said the archdiocese sent him all of the paperwork related to its probe, which covered 2004 through June of this year. An audit of cash collections from people attending Masses showed LeBlanc took $50,689 from the collections, according to the report. LeBlanc was the sole counter of this money and made all of the deposits, the report said. An audit of the cash disbursement account revealed LeBlanc was depositing donations, then writing checks payable to "cash," the report said. Personal checks written from this account totaled $28,437, the report said. An audit of St. John the Baptist's finances was done last November. LeBlanc admitted to forging the signature of Deborah Conner, head of the parish Finance Committee, on the March 10 audit report, according to the police report. Dunderdale, the Archdiocese attorney, said LeBlanc used the money taken from parish accounts to pay personal bills such as rent, car and credit card payments, according to the police report. LeBlanc's next court date is Dec. 3, when he is scheduled for a pretrial conference. His lawyer, William Sullivan of Haverhill, could not be reached for comment Friday. After LeBlanc's exit, the Rev. Paul Coughlin served as temporary administrator of St. John the Baptist for several weeks. Cardinal Sean O'Malley, archbishop of Boston, then placed the parish under the leadership of the Rev. Robert Murray, pastor of St. James Church. Murray is now the leader of both parishes.
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