Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, an 80-year-old nun, confessed to stealing over $830,000 from an elementary school where she was employed.
On Monday, Kreuper, the ex-principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, was given one year and a day in prison.
“I have sinned. I have broken the law, and I have no excuses,” she stated in court.
Kreuper added that the offenses that she committed were a “violation of my vows, the commandments, the law, and above all the sacred trust that so many had placed in me.”
The sentencing part of the matter was said to be tough for the judge. This was because although many wanted the nun to be punished, a lot of parents and students had forgiven Kreuper.
Documents state that Kreuper used the school’s tuition money to pay for trips to Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe. The judge said that he didn’t want to lock Kreuper up for two years based only on “the worst thing that she’s done in her life.”
Before retiring in 2018, Kreuper had been the principal at the school for 28 years. She pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in July.
After receiving her punishment, Kreuper stated that she will now follow Christ more closely.
