Conn. Priest Charged in Million-Dollar Theft From Church

A Waterbury, Conn., priest has been charged with stealing $1.3-million over seven years from the accounts of his church, the Associated Press reports.

The Rev. Kevin J. Gray, a former pastor at Sacred Heart/Sagrado Corazon Parish, was arraigned Tuesday on a charge of first-degree larceny and is being held on a $750,000 bond.

Police said Father Gray, a popular pastor who appeared to live humbly and resided in a neighboring parish so a Catholic charity could use his parish’s rectory, wrote himself checks on the church account and spent lavishly on ritzy hotels and restaurants, designer clothes, and male escorts.

The Archdiocese of Hartford sought an investigation after discovering the missing funds in a review of church finances and later suspended Father Gray. The priest did not provide comment in the article.

(Free registration is required to view this article on the Boston Globe site.)