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	Priest's Image: Underpaid CEO When He Was Arrested, the Rev. John Skehan Admitted Misdirecting Church Money, a Warrant Shows Miami Herald October 8, 2006 http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15706678.htm Delray Beach - (AP) -- A priest who allegedly misappropriated millions of dollars from a Catholic church in Delray Beach told police he saw himself as the CEO of a multimillion-dollar company who wasn't properly compensated, according to a search warrant. The Rev. John Skehan acknowledged misdirecting money from St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church when police arrested him on grand theft charges at Palm Beach International Airport last month, a warrant released Friday shows. Authorities charged Skehan and Rev. Francis Guinan with grand theft, alleging they stole more than $400,000 from the parish's donations. An audit conducted by the Diocese of Palm Beach alleges the pair misappropriated $8.7 million. Skehan is free on $400,000 bond. Guinan is in Australia, and authorities are negotiating with his attorney, David Roth, to have Guinan turn himself in to Florida authorities this month. Attorneys for the men did not did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment Saturday. "Skehan gave his opinion that he was never properly paid by the diocese, he was running a big business and getting nothing for it," the warrant says. "He took what he had coming to him, as the diocese was cheap and never paid for his education." Skehan admitted setting up slush fund accounts, which were in place when Guinan took over as pastor. He told the church staff to create two sets of books to hide the actual amount of offertory money from the diocese because he thought it would take money from the church, the warrant said. Skehan served at Epiphany in South Miami, St. Anthony in Fort Lauderdale and Little Flower in Hollywood during the 1950s. He was pastor at St. Matthews in Hallandale Beach from 1959 to 1963. Guinan served at Epiphany, St. Michael and Archangel and St. Hugh in Miami-Dade County from 1969 to 1975. He also was pastor of Christ the King in Perrine in the early 1980s.
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