7am News, Sports and Obits

Latest WGIL news
Click to play or
Right click and "Save Target As" to download
Click for Galesburg, Illinois Forecast
Home - Cancellations - Community Events - Contact Us - Mornings - News - Obituaries - Pictures - Programs - Special Events Audio - Sports - Weather
Ex-Priest Plea: Guilty to Stealing More Than $100K
WHEATON, Ill. (AP) -- A former Catholic priest charged with stealing more than $400,000 from his former church, in part to feed a gambling addiction, has pleaded guilty to reduced charges.

The Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times say 47-year-old John Regan pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing more than $100,000 in a deal with prosecutors. Regan faces a sentence ranging from probation to 15 years in prison at his Aug. 16 sentencing.

Regan was pastor of St. Walter Parish in Roselle from June 2006 until 2008.
He declined comment Thursday.
Authorities said Regan spent stolen church funds at riverboat casinos.

His defense attorney previously said Regan has no prior criminal history and was addressing his problems. The Diocese of Joliet removed Regan in July 2008 and he later received treatment for gambling addiction.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
06 09 11 by Newsroom
News management powered by Xpression News

Click here for the WGIL News Archive

Click here for national news

The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.