Priest sentenced to three years for theft from his Las Vegas parish

Priest sentenced to three years for theft from his Las Vegas parish
by Tom Gallagher

A Roman Catholic priest was sentenced Friday to three years and one month in federal prison and ordered to repay $650,000 he acknowledged siphoning from his northwest Las Vegas parish to support his gambling habit.
Muffled sobs erupted from a courtroom packed with supporters, but Monsignor Kevin McAuliffe, 59, stood straight and made no reaction as U.S. District Court Judge James Mahan faulted him for accepting responsibility but "hedging his bet" by blaming the theft on a gambling addiction.

"You abused a position of trust, Mr. McAuliffe, the judge said, dispensing with any church title for the priest who many in the parish referred to as Father Kevin while he hid a weakness for casinos and video poker. "You betrayed people who depended on you."




Gambling priest gets 3 years prison in Vegas theft
By ASSOCIATED PRESS

LAS VEGAS - A Roman Catholic priest was sentenced yesterday to 37 months in federal prison and ordered to repay $650,000 he acknowledged siphoning from his northwest Las Vegas parish to support his gambling habit.

Muffled sobs erupted from a courtroom filled with supporters, but Monsignor Kevin McAuliffe, 59, stood straight and made no reaction as US District Court Judge James Mahan faulted him for accepting responsibility but “hedging his bet’’ by blaming the theft on a gambling addiction.

“You abused a position of trust, Mr. McAuliffe,’’ the judge said, dispensing with any church title for the priest who many in the parish referred to as Father Kevin. “You betrayed people who depended on you.’’

McAuliffe offered a remorseful apology, saying he felt “guilt, shame, and self-loathing,’’ noting that he had “rightly’’ lost his positions of authority in the church and asking the judge for leniency so he could make restitution, help others with gambling addictions, “and atone for what I have done.’’

Defense attorney Margaret Stanish brought in a gambling addiction specialist to testify and asked the judge for probation so McAuliffe could continue getting counseling for his gambling addiction, keep working as a priest, and pay restitution to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Summerlin.

“He would not be here but for a gambling addiction,’’ she said.

Outside court, longtime parishioner Regina Hauck, 80, called the judge fair but the sentence unfair. She said she wanted forgiveness.

Stanish told the judge in court documents that McAuliffe began paying restitution to the church in May and had paid $13,420. He is to begin serving his sentence on April 13.