Authorities: Man falsely claimed priest abuse

OREGON
KGW

by JONATHAN J. COOPER Associated Press

Posted on January 29, 2013

SALEM — Prosecutors say an inmate in a federal prison falsely claimed he was abused as a child by priests in four Catholic dioceses.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Portland said Tuesday that a grand jury has indicted 49-year-old Shamont Sapp on charges of mail fraud.

The indictment alleges that Sapp filed claims in courts over a five-year period alleging abuse by specific priests in the dioceses of Tucson, Ariz.; Covington, Ky.; and Spokane, Wash., as well as the Archdiocese of Portland, Ore.

It says the priests Sapp named didn’t abuse him, and his claims were dismissed or denied.

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