Former Roman Catholic Priest in North Dakota Accused of Exploiting Paralyzed Man; Faces Prison

The Republic
January 5, 2012

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/96047e972a324600a16d7e764cde1d82/ND--Priest-Accused/

A former priest faces prison time in North Dakota for using the money of a disabled man to participate in Internet scams.

Sixty-seven-year-old Cyprian Meier pleaded guilty in December to felony exploitation of a vulnerable adult. He faces up to 10 years in prison and $10,000 in fines when he's sentenced Feb. 17.

The Bismarck Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/wJQMTq ) that court documents show Meier was providing home health care for a 56-year-old paralyzed Bismarck man last year, and admitted taking more than $29,000 from the man's bank accounts. The newspaper says Meier had lost his job with the Bismarck Catholic Diocese in 2005 for spending Mandan parishioners' money on the same kinds of schemes and later left the priesthood.