Retired Worcester priest faces money laundering charges, by Brian Lee, Telegram & Gazette (August 19, 2015)

WORCESTER - A retired Roman Catholic priest has pleaded not guilty to federal wire fraud charges alleging he claimed more than $91,000 in wire transfers from three states, and sent $2,500 to Nigerian accounts during the past two years from what the indictment described as the proceeds of "unlawful activity."

The Rev. Thomas B. Fleming of the Worcester Diocese was arraigned Friday in U.S. District Court on 12 counts of money laundering.

In addition to Nigeria, the alleged scheme involves participants in Connecticut, Illinois and California, according to the five-page indictment.

Rev. Fleming, of Worcester, is accused of knowingly conducting and attempting to conduct financial transactions affecting interstate commerce, and knowing that the property involved in the financial transaction represented the proceeds of some form of unlawful activity. The illegal activity was not described in the indictment.

Rev. Fleming allegedly used Western Union to wire transfer $1,000 to “O.W.” in Nigeria on Jan. 11, 2013, and used Western Union to wire transfer $1,500 to “K.A.” in Nigeria on Feb. 11, 2014, according to the indictment.

It is further alleged that the following wire transfers went into Rev. Fleming's TD Bank account: $8,000 from Jane Doe #1 in California on Aug. 12, 2013; $2,400, $27,000 and $5,000 from Jane Doe #2 in Connecticut on Aug. 30, 2013, Sept. 26, 2013 and Oct. 8, 2013, respectively; $3,575 from Jane Doe #3 in Illinois on Sept. 3, 2013; $10,000, $5,500, $3,250, and $7,535 from Jane Doe #4 in California on Nov. 27, 2013, Dec. 5, 2013, Dec. 11, 2013, and Dec. 27, 2013, respectively.

The indictment said $19,680 went into Rev. Fleming's Bank of America account from Jane Doe #5 in California on April 4, 2014.

U.S. Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy ordered Rev. Fleming released with conditions and an unsecured bond.

He was arrested last month in Florida before he was returned to Massachusetts for Friday's arraignment.

No one answered the door at Rev. Fleming's home on Pine View Avenue on Wednesday. His listed number in the Worcester Roman Catholic Diocese directory was not accepting messages Wednesday. The priest did not respond to an email message seeking comment.

Raymond Delisle, chancellor of the diocese, said Rev. Fleming retired in July 2014.

Rev. Fleming was ordained in 1976, and his more recent assignments included being the pastor of St. Francis in Bolton (before it was merged with St. Theresa the Little Flower in Harvard), chaplain at UMass Memorial Medical Center, and associate pastor at St. Joseph Church in Charlton.

In 2010, he was assigned to the Emergency Response ministry, helping at different parishes as needs arose, prior to his retirement, Mr. Delisle said.