Naughty Nun Guilty of Stealing to Gamble
A Catholic nun has pled guilty to stealing over $300,000 from her archdiocese to fund her gambling habit. Sister Barbara Markey pled guilty in Douglas County District Court to a charge of theft of more than $1500 on Monday.
Her attorney, J. William Gallup, said the nun also agreed to make restitution in the amount of $125,000 to the Archdiocese of Omaha. In return, the prosecutors and the church agreed not to push for prison time for Markey, allowing the judge to give her probation. The charge carries a possibility of jail up to 20 years.
The 73-year-old Markey had developed a world-wide reputation as a speaker for the Catholic faith and family issues. Unfortunately, her travels apparently gave her ample opportunity to gamble with money she took from church coffers.
An audit in the Nebraska archdiocese offices in January 2006 showed missing money and accounting irregularities in the Family Life Office, of which Markey was the director. She was fired, and further investigation showed that between December 2003 and the time of the audit, $307,545 had been misspent by Markey on gambling and trips.
Markey will be sentenced in July, and it will be up to the judge as to whether she receives prison time.
