Priest Says He Took Money Because He Was Underpaid: "He saw himself as the CEO of a multimillion-dollar company who wasn't properly compensated"

Local 6
Oct. 09, 2006

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. -- A priest who allegedly misappropriated millions of dollars from a Delray Beach Catholic church told police he saw himself as the CEO of a multimillion-dollar company who wasn't properly compensated, according to a search warrant.

Rev. John Skehan acknowledged misdirecting money from St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church when police arrested him on grand theft charges at Palm Beach International Airport last month, a warrant released Friday shows.

Authorities charged Skehan and Rev. Francis Guinan with grand theft, alleging they stole more than $400,000 from the parish's donations. An audit conducted by the Diocese of Palm Beach alleges the pair misappropriated $8.7 million.

Skehan is free on $400,000 bond. Guinan is in Australia, and authorities are negotiating with his attorney, David Roth, to have Guinan turn himself in to Florida authorities by the end of the month.

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Attorneys for the men did not did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment Saturday.

"Skehan gave his opinion that he was never properly paid by the diocese, he was running a big business and getting nothing for it," the search warrant says. "He took what he had coming to him, as the diocese was cheap and never paid for his education."

Skehan said he used some of the money to help other people, including a previous co-worker, whom he paid $675 a week because she allegedly had health issues, the warrant said.

Skehan also told police that Guinan took money from the Easter collections, leaving bookkeepers with empty envelopes.

Skehan also admitted setting up slush fund accounts, which were in place when Guinan took over as pastor. He told the church staff to create two sets of books to protect the actual amount of offertory money from the diocese because he was concerned it would take money from the church, the warrant said.