Prosecutor seeks maximum sentence for priest who conspired with Mafia killer
April 12, 2016
In a bizarre criminal case with the earmarks of a Hollywood thriller, a prosecutor in Illinois is recommending the maximum 5-year prison sentence for a Catholic priest who has admitted that he engaged in a conspiracy with an imprisoned Mafia figure.
Father Eugene Klein entered a guilty plea last year to charges that he worked with Frank Calabrese, a convicted killer, to shelter the mobster's assets from federal prosecutors. Specifically, the priest was allegedly told where Calabrese had stashed a precious Stradivarius violin, valued at over $20 million.
However, the prosecutor charged that Father Klein had also given Frank Calabrese information about the whereabouts of his brother, Nicholas Calabrese, who is in the federal witness-protection program after having testifed against leading Chicago crime figures. By disclosing that information, the priest put Nicholas Calabrese in "grave danger," the prosecution told the court.
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Further information:
- Feds allege priest told mob hit man of brother's secret location (Chicago Tribune)
- Chicago priest pleads guilty to conspiring with late Mafia boss (CWN, 2/11/15)
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Posted by: -
Apr. 19, 2016 12:49 AM ET USA
To unum, I fully agree with you!!! What [why]is a Catholic priest conspiring with a known criminal and also endangering Nicholas Calabrese who is being protected, grave danger?
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Posted by: unum -
Apr. 13, 2016 9:39 AM ET USA
Where does the U.S. Church get these guys who can't tell right from wrong. Are we that desperate for priests?
