Ohio priest sentenced for stealing $1.9M

August 04, 2016

A priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati has been sentenced to five years in prison for stealing $1.9 million from his former parish.

Father Earl Simone, 75, “lived lavishly by owning and managing properties purchased with parish resources,” including “collections for the nuns’ retirement, earthquake relief and other special causes,” the archdiocese’s chancellor told the court.

The Dayton Daily News reported that Father Simone

bought $2.8 million worth of property — mostly houses and apartments in Huber Heights — between 1994 and 2014. Much of the property was owned by his business, Flynn Realty, and he ran a bagel shop in Vandalia that closed in 2006, mired in tax debt. Simone accumulated nearly $671,000 in court judgments or settlements and tax liens that were released after payment. He also faced 91 maintenance or zoning code violations between 2000 and 2015.

 

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Further information:

• Priest sentenced to 5 years, ordered to pay back almost $2 million (Dayton Daily News)