Detroit Catholic Priest Accused of Stealing Charitable Funds Arraigned in Court

Detroit News
April 3, 2014

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140403/METRO01/304030070/Detroit-Catholic-priest-accused-stealing-charitable-funds-arraigned-court

Timothy Joseph Kane (Detroit News file photo)

A local Catholic priest accused of stealing charitable funds was arraigned Thursday.

Father Timothy Kane, who appeared Thursday morning before Judge Margie Braxton, is charged in connection with an alleged fraudulent scheme to steal money from an Archdiocese of Detroit charitable fund.

Kane’s co-defendant, Dorecca Brewer, was also arraigned Thursday in connection to the alleged ploy, however she did not appear in court. Brewer’s attorney, who appeared on her behalf, said she was confused about the court dates, according to Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Maria Miller.

Their lawyers asked for a jury courtroom and will be before Judge Bruce Morrow for a calendar conference scheduled for April 11, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.

Kane, 57, who had been serving at St. Moses the Black Parish in Detroit, was formally charged Feb. 12, along with Brewer, 34, of Jackson, with six felony counts in connection with missing money from the Angel Fund, which provides aid to the needy in Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck.

Prosecutors say Kane conspired with Brewer to steal money from the fund by filing and approving false applications. Between August 2008 and July 2012, the pair allegedly convinced others to supply information in exchange for a cut of the profits, according to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.

Brewer has a prior criminal record, according to information released in court.

Kane and Brewer, who was not believed to be employed by the Archdiocese of Detroit, received thousands of dollars from the transactions, according to Worthy.

The charges against Kane are: criminal enterprise conspiracy, a 20-year felony; using computers to commit a crime, a 20-year felony; uttering and publishing, a 14-year felony; conspiracy to commit uttering and publishing, a 14-year felony; embezzlement from a charitable institution, $1,000 to $20,000, a 10-year felony; conspiracy to commit embezzlement from a charitable institution, $1,000 to $20,000, a 10-year felony.

Kane has been removed from the ministry, according to the Archdiocese of Detroit. Church officials described the Angel Fund as "a little-known charitable program ... that has been funded by an anonymous donor family. Since 2005, the Angel Fund has granted more than $17 million to needy individuals and families."

Ordained in 1982, Kane previously served Ordained in 1982, Kane previously served at parishes in Wyandotte, Clawson and Detroit, the archdiocese said.