BishopAccountability.org
	Western Pa. Priest Waives Hearing, Headed to Court on Charges He Stole $143,000 from Parish The Republic September 14, 2011 http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/fa305da232c74451aeed1bcc564fbd69/PA--Pastor-Missing-Money/ A Pittsburgh-area priest has waived his right to a preliminary hearing and will face a Common Pleas judge over charges he stole more than $143,000 from his parish from 1999 to 2009. The Rev. Francis Drabiska was charged last week with theft by unlawful taking from the Word of God Parish from 1999 and 2009. The 60-year-old Roman Catholic priest resigned last year when the missing money came to light. Allegheny County prosecutors say Drabiska told detectives he stole as much as $180,000 but the statute of limitations only allows him to be prosecuted for money allegedly stolen over the last eight years. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (http://bit.ly/rlgtSB ) reports a criminal complaint says Drabiska had been warned of his extravagant spending by church officials, and later acknowledged he "used the money to live a lifestyle beyond his means."
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