CANADA
CBC News
A southern Ontario Catholic priest embezzled more than $150,000 and used it to fund a lavish lifestyle that included trips to Europe, New York, Disney theme parks and fine dining, the Crown said to open the trial of Robert Couture.
Robert Couture was Ste. Anne Parish’s priest in Tecumseh, just east of Windsor, when he was charged with one count of theft over $5,000 nearly two years ago.
Provincial police claim an audit of the parish’s accounts revealed at least $169,000 in irregularities.
His three-week trial began in a Superior Court of Justice courtroom in Windsor on Tuesday.
Couture is alleged to have stolen money in a number of ways.
The Crown claims he stole from collection plates and told funeral homes they had to pay $260 for “prayer teams” to come to funerals. It’s alleged Couture would then give the church cheques for only $125 to $140, and pocket the rest.
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