Nebraska Archdiocese Sues Nun Accused of Stealing Church Funds

AP via Fox News ^ | July 1, 2007 | AP

[siunevada]

OMAHA, Neb. — In addition to a lawsuit against a nun accused of stealing church money, the Omaha Archdiocese has filed more lawsuits against her and some family members.

In April the archdiocese sued Sister Barbara Markey in an effort to recover $820,000 the archdiocese says she stole as director of the archdiocese's Catholic Family Life Office.

Her criminal trial on a charge of theft by deception was tentatively set for Sept. 17.

She was initially sued in April. This week the archdiocese filed a lawsuit against 11 of her relatives for a total of $73,800. They were not accused of theft, but the lawsuit says they benefited from the money, gifts or other items from Markey.

Two lawsuits were filed in Douglas County District Court.

A third lawsuit was filed in Park County, Colo., seeking a lien against a house there that has a tax valuation of $262,000. The archdiocese says Markey spent some of its money on the vacation home owned by members of her family, under the incorporated name of Bally Markey.

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Markey, a nationally and internationally known speaker, was fired in January after an audit turned up irregularities.

According to the audit, Markey spent $307,545 for her own use or without documentation between December 2003 and January 2006.

Prosecutors say nearly $900,000 hasn't been accounted for back to 1999, but the state won't be investigating further.

Criminal court documents say at least $67,656 of the total was spent at casinos.

She has denied any crime and has explained her spending as "complex accounting."

[siunevada]

Complex accounting.

Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

[A.A. Cunningham]

Barbara Markey

The arrest warrant alleges that Markey spent more than $307,000 in archdiocese's funds. A church audit produced an itemized list, which includes $81,000 in cash or cash advances, $67,000 to casinos, $33,000 on gifts, $31,000 on clothing and furniture and another $24,000 on travel.

[livius]

That’s depressing. It’s a fairly conservative diocese, too, I believe.

[Between the Lines]

1 If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother goes to law against another—and this in front of unbelievers!

7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 1 Corinthians 6:1-7