Clergy Abuse Victim Steals from Church, Non-Profit and Self

Philly.com has reported that Michael W. McDonnell, of Bristol, Bucks County, was arrested and pleaded guilty to stealing $112,226 from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and an addiction treatment center.

McDonnell originally claimed that he felt justified in his criminal activities due to being a victim of priest abuse.

At a ruling in Doylestown, Judge Albert J. Cepparulo sentenced McDonnell, 42, to 11 to 23 months in jail, five years of probation and payment of restitution.  He was found guilty of theft, forgery and receiving stolen property.

McDonnell is also barred forever from handling funds for non-profit organizations.

While employed by Southern Bucks Recovery Center, McDonnell misappropriated $10,767 from both donations and payments that were for the center's use only.

Additionally, McDonnell took the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for false claims of psychotherapy visits - a total of 661 that never occurred - that cost $101,459.  The therapy was needed due to sexual abuse from two priests that occurred when McDonnell was between the ages for 12 and 14.

William Spade, McDonnell's attorney, attempted to introduce expert testimony about sexual abuse trauma, but the judge wouldn't allow it. 

Cepparulo said, "It is your greed alone that has caused this harm, you have harmed those close to you, those trying to help you, and those who were trying to help others."

Assistant District Attorney, Jay Karsch, felt that the sentence was "appropriate" for the crimes.  Spade refused further comment.

McDonnell was immediately remanded to Bucks County prison to begin his prison term.

There was one account of sexual abuse the judge did allow McDonnell to retell: During a trip to the Jersey Shore, the priest lowered his pants, exposed his buttocks and asked McDonnell to place live crabs on his backside. 

Spade argued that while such abuse didn't excuse what McDonnell had done, it presented a backdrop as to why he felt he could. 

McDonnell said that he knew his crimes were "reprehensible" and that "I was wrong.  I'm aware I was wrong."

McDonnell, in pleading with the judge not to impose a jail term on him, Cepparulo said in response, "The last message I want to send is that it is OK to steal as long as you can pay the money back, and as long as you feel sorry about it."

When a donor couldn't attain a receipt, or a refund, for $400 to the recovery center, questions began to arise.  A detective traced the check to McDonnell's account.  That check, as well as others, had been used by McDonnell to pay for his rent, house cleaning, a golf trip and appointments with a breast-enhancement specialist for his girlfriend.

The detective further uncovered all of the false charges for unused counseling sessions from June of 2007 to February of 2010, including bilking the archdiocese for mileage to and from the treatments.

Archdiocesan spokeswoman Donna Farrell, stated, " We hope this does not discourage other sexual-abuse victims from coming forward to the archdiocese."

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