Embezzlement and Mismanagement of Parish Funds Alleged
Rev. Edward Belczak, 69, of Troy and Janice Verschuren, 67, of Bloomfield Hills have been indicted on five counts of felony embezzlement for the alleged mismanagement of parish funds. The indictments include mail fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy involving missing parish funds from 2004 to 2012.
Belczak was suspended from his position as pastor of the St. Thomas More Catholic Church in January 2013, after nearly 30 years as it’s priest. Questions were raised regarding the money handling at his parish after an internal audit conducted by the archdioceses revealed that there were “questionable financial transactions and practices.” Verschuren, who was the parish’s manager, also left at the same time.
The suspended pastor and former parish manager have been accused of embezzling nearly $700,000 in parish money, which includes funds taken from special holiday collections, as well as the church’s travel group and the bequest of a deceased parishioner. The thefts have allegedly been on-going for years in a variety of ways, including depositing bequeathed money into a secret bank account and submitting false financial reports to the Archdiocese of Detroit to cover up the missing funds.
One of the allegations is that Beczak diverted $109,570.80 from a parish bank account to put a down payment on a condo in Palm Beach, Florida which he purchased from Verschuren in 2005. The FBI has filed documents to seize the property. Another allegation describes how a parishioner died and left $420,204.52 to be used for the needs of the church. However, Belczak deposited the money into a business money-market account in his name which he kept secret from the archdiocese.
Also, Belczak and Verschuren are accused of working together to steal nearly $500,000 given to the church by parishioners in addition to over $26,000 in commissions paid to the St. Thomas More Travel Group, and over $33,000 owed to St. Thomas More Church by Diocesan Publications. These thefts occurred in addition to money taken from church member’s offerings made on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and the funds used for the purchase of the Palm Beach Condo.
Under Michigan law, embezzlement of $100,000 or more can result in a fine of up to $50,000, (or three times the amount embezzled, whichever is greater) and up to 20 years in prison, or both. Belczak has maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.