Jul 02, 2012

Ex-CFO of Philadelphia archdiocese admits embezzling $900K

By Michael Winter, USA TODAY Updated 21m ago

The former chief financial officer of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $900,000, the Associated Press reports.

Anita Guzzardi, 42, of suburban Haddon Heights, N.J., pleaded guilty Friday to charges of theft by deception, forgery and unlawful use of a computer for stealing the money between 2005 and 2011. She became the CFO last July 1, was put on administrative leave two weeks later and fired the week after that, the archdiocese said in a March statement after Guzzardi surrendered.

Prosecutors recovered about $250,000, AP says. The archdiocese said insurance would cover most of the rest of the loss.

Guzzardi grew up in South Philadelphia, attended Catholic schools and had worked for the archdiocese since 1989.

Here's how The Philadelphia Inquirer summerized the thievery back in February:

As an employee of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Anita Guzzardi, was considered a trusted servant of the church. Once, she headed an office that tried to restore the faith of strayed Catholics.

In her time off, she liked to play the slots at the Borgata casino in Atlantic City and to take vacations, using her American Express card.

And for years, Guzzardi paid those credit card bills by checks from the archdiocese - nearly $1 million in all, according to sources familiar with a continuing investigation by the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.

The alleged embezzlement went on for at least six years, but no one in the church caught it, sources said. Instead, it was discovered by a fraud investigator with American Express who wondered why the archdiocese was ringing up charges at a casino.

Her lawyer said today that she "always acknowledged wrongdoing" and "has been diligently working to make amends."

Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 24. Her lawyer told AP sentencing guidelines call for "a few months" of jail.

Ex-CFO of Philadelphia archdiocese admits embezzling $900K