Priest Pleads Not Guilty to Theft Charge

By Alexandra Chachkevitch
Chicago Tribune
August 26, 2014

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/glenview/ct-james-dokos-pleads-not-guilty-met-20140826-story.html

Rev. James Dokos in court on July 18. (Abel Uribe, Chicago Tribune)

A Greek Orthodox priest pleaded not guilty to a felony theft charge during his arraignment in a Milwaukee County courtroom this morning.

The Rev. James Dokos, who has been placed on leave from Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Glenview pending the outcome of the case, is accused of improperly spending more than $100,000 from a trust fund intended to benefit Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Milwaukee.

Dokos, 62, was the longtime pastor at Annunciation before transferring to Sts. Peter and Paul in 2012.

Authorities in Milwaukee announced in June that they would file the charge against Dokos after launching an investigation last year into how the trust fund money was spent. The fund was established by a longtime Annunciation parishioner and his wife, and while the church received $1.1 million from the fund, Annunciation members alerted authorities after finding possible discrepancies in how the rest of the money was allotted.

Dokos' attorneys have denied he engaged in wrongdoing and have said Annunciation members sought the prosecution against him to cover up their own mismanagement of the fund.

Dokos is next due in court in December.

Contact: achachkevitch@tribune.com