00:48
27 Dec

A Pennsylvania Greek Orthodox priest has been accused of stealing over $117,000 from his church to feed his gambling addiction.

Father George Athanasiou of All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, is facing 223 counts of theft, with allegations of embezzlement from the church’s bank accounts.

Father Athanasiou’s alleged actions came to light when church officials noticed discrepancies in their accounting books in September.

They found that multiple cheques had been taken and deposited into an unauthorised bank account.

The investigation led authorities to a branch of PNC Bank where church donation cheques had been deposited into a personal account controlled by Father Athanasiou. CCTV footage from multiple ATMs showed Father Athanasiou making deposits.

The priest, who is said to suffer from a gambling addiction, is accused of improperly cashing numerous cheques involving church funds, depositing the money into his own account, and then withdrawing it via an ATM.

When questioned by the police, Father Athanasiou admitted to stealing the money due to “personal hardships”. He also alluded to his gambling problem in the statement he gave to the police.

Following these allegations, Father Athanasiou has been suspended without pay from his assistant priest’s post.

His attorney, Patrick Thomassey, has stated that he plans to repay the church, with the support of many church members. Thomassey did not indicate what Athanasiou is doing to raise the money or whether a plea deal is in the works with prosecutors.

“People are upset, but a lot of the church people are actually supporting the father and, I’m gonna tell you right now, we’re gonna pay back all this money, every cent. Right now, we’re not sure what the figure is. We know it’s high. We already have a lot of money ready to make restitution in this case.

“He had a gambling problem. He alluded to that in the statement he gave to police. And, that’s not uncommon today”

The case has been turned over to the state Attorney General’s office for prosecution because there are members of All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in the Washington County District Attorney’s Office, which could potentially lead to a conflict of interest. A formal arraignment is scheduled for late January, 2024.

In addition to the legal proceedings, Father Athanasiou’s emotional health is also being examined following a court order. He has been ordered to follow the recommendations made after his mental health assessment while he is out on bond.

Despite the serious allegations, Father Athanasiou is said to have the support of the church he stole from.