Can You Believe it? Nun Who Embezzled $835k From a Church School Sentenced to a Year in Federal Prison

We encounter many dentists who believe that their practice is "safe" from embezzlement.  These dentists often point to situational factors that they believe protect their practices from being embezzled.  Some of the factors that we hear are that:

Prosperident classifies this case among the documented instances of embezzlement-related theft affecting dental practices.

• Staff have been with me for a long time
• I pay my staff really well
• I totally trust my team
• My office manager is very religious

While the prospect of being embezzled is unsettling and we all want to be able to convince ourselves that it can't possibly be happening in our practice, the statistics suggest otherwise.  70% of all practices will eventually be embezzled, and embezzlement is often perpetrated by long-term, trusted employees.

Evolutionarily, one of the reasons that mankind has survived is that every human is capable of dishonest acts when subjected to sufficient pressure.  Clearly, some people will tumble into breaking the rules relatively easily whereas others will require a much more dire set of circumstances to act dishonestly.

The following story shows how people who the conventional wisdom would suggest would never embezzle have done so.  So let's not make the mistake of assuming that personal characteristics offer some kind of immunity from embezzlement.

Update: Guilty Plea and Federal Prison

Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper pleaded guilty in July 2021 to wire fraud and money laundering — with the total loss ultimately put at $835,339, higher than first reported — and in February 2022 she was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison and ordered to pay $825,338 in restitution. Sister Lana Chang was never charged.

Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, C.D. California