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St. Peter’s employee charged with embezzlement

By Steve Neill
Of The Catholic Virginian

The former secretary of St. Peter’s Church in downtown Richmond is charged with felony embezzlement in connection with thefts from the parish’s Sunday collections which were caught on a hidden video camera.

Bernadine Brown, who had been on the staff of St. Peter’s for almost 20 years, was shown on the video handling money from the collections on two successive Sundays last summer and placing cash and some envelopes in her purse.

Stephanie Cimillo, who was employed by St. Peter’s as a part-time bookkeeper, said she became suspicious when she noticed that cash contributions in the collection were diminished and that 10 and 20 dollar bills “were almost nonexistent.”

Ms. Cimillo, who no longer is employed by the parish, arranged a hidden video camera on a file cabinet in the parish office. She notified Father Robert Brownell, pastor of St. Peter’s, of the video and he contacted the diocese.

Diocesan officials met with Ms. Brown and she admitted taking the money after the video was shown. She had at first denied the thefts.

“We did our own investigation and based on her admission that she had taken the money, the employee was suspended without pay,” Maryjane Fuller, assistant director of the diocesan Office of Human Resources, told The Catholic Virginian.

The diocese turned over the video and its written summary of the investigation to Richmond Police. Ms. Brown was arrested Oct. 30.

Bishop DiLorenzo has been kept informed of the matter secret since it first came to the diocese’s attention last summer. The diocese refrained from making a public announcement until a preliminary hearing was scheduled.

Ms. Brown’s sudden absence from St. Peter’s was noticed by some parishioners after she was suspended by the diocese in July.

“I told people she is no longer here and as soon as I can talk about it, I will,” Father Brownell told The Catholic Virginian. After the court date, he says he answered people’s questions privately.

He spoke to parishioners about Ms. Brown’s termination at Sunday Mass Feb. 4.

“I told people that when she left here July 7 she was suspended by the diocese until the day we went to court,” Father Brownell said. “On that day the diocese terminated her employment.”

The priest has not seen Ms. Brown or had any communication with her since she left St. Peter’s July 7.

The hearing is set for Friday, March 9, at which Ms. Brown will be allowed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge if she makes restitution of $500, the amount she claims to have stolen. She had not made restitution of the money when The Catholic Virginian went to press Feb. 7.

“The diocese takes all embezzlement seriously and will refer any report of suspected embezzlement to the appropriate police authorities who will conduct their own investigation,” Bishop DiLorenzo said.

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