'Unconscionable' Priest Allegedly Let His Own Mother Get Evicted While Stealing $750,000 in Funds

A Pennsylvania priest has been accused of stealing about $750,000 from three churches, church affiliates and his elderly mother in an alleged scheme dating back to 2018.

Gregory Allen Madeya, 69, was arrested in Florida on 14 August and later extradited to Pennsylvania. He served as a priest at St John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in McKeesport.

Authorities allege that Madeya took money from parishes, church followers, the Knights of Columbus and his mother, who was no longer able to manage her finances because of her age. The allegations have not been proven in court.

Mother Allegedly Lost More Than $230,000

Investigators said Madeya misappropriated more than $230,000 from his mother's investment accounts. Officials also discovered that she had been evicted from several nursing homes because payments had not been made.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday described the alleged conduct as an abuse of trust involving both the churches Madeya served and his mother.

'It is unconscionable to see a supposed man of God exploiting not only the churches he served, but his own mother,' Sunday said.

He added: 'This defendant abused the trust of those around him and left them to recover from mammoth financial losses.'

Officials also said Madeya bought a 2018 Ford Mustang for $35,433.58 and gave the vehicle to a man who was living with him during the period covered by the allegations. Officials did not specify where the money to buy the car came from.

Church Funds and Gold Chalice Investigated

According to officials, Madeya fraudulently misappropriated $319,997.03 from multiple churches and followers.

Witnesses from the church community reported missing collection money, fundraising proceeds, donations, rent and church-related fees that allegedly were never deposited into church accounts.

Investigators also interviewed a jeweller whom Madeya allegedly approached about selling a gold chalice. The chalice had been purchased for $19,440.

Separately, Madeya is accused of failing to pay $248,663.43 in taxes. This tax allegation, alongside the alleged misappropriation of money, does not state that the unpaid taxes formed part of the stolen funds.

Priest Waives Preliminary Court Hearing

Madeya appeared in court with his attorney on Thursday following his extradition to Pennsylvania. He waived his preliminary hearing and chose to take his case directly to court.

His attorney, Patrick Thomassey, said the judge and attorney general had been reasonable and that Madeya's bail had been reduced to a monetary amount he could post. Thomassey said his client had been jailed for about three weeks by then.

The lawyer declined to comment on the allegations' truthfulness or accuracy. He said the case involved a substantial amount of paperwork and suggested that questions surrounding how Catholic priests are paid could become relevant if the matter proceeded to trial.

Madeya faces felony charges of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, theft by unlawful taking, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, financial exploitation of an older adult or care-dependent person, and access device fraud.

CBS cited the criminal docket as showing that Madeya had not posted his $25,000 bail and was being held at Westmoreland County Prison.

As the case proceeds toward formal trial proceedings in Westmoreland County, legal experts anticipate heightened scrutiny regarding church oversight and fiduciary protections. Prosecutors maintain that the exhaustive multi-agency investigation will hold the clergyman fully accountable for the devastating financial losses inflicted upon his victims.