Every Gambler should have God on their side
OLATHE, Kan. -- A priest who acknowledged stealing from church funds to feed a gambling addiction was sentenced Friday to serve 48 hours in a county jail and spend time on probation.
The Rev. Anthony Williams, 51, a former pastor at St. Paul's Catholic Church, apologized for stealing $44,000 from church funds.
"I hate the fact that I'm a compulsive gambler," he said before being sentenced in Johnson County District Court.
Williams resigned in October after admitting to parishioners in a Sunday sermon he had a gambling problem.
His lawyer, Tom Bath, said Friday that Williams had received about seven months of treatment for his gambling addiction and recently was released from a program in the St. Louis area.
He was ordered to continue counseling while on probation. He also will not be allowed to work in a position where he has to deal with financial matters. Williams already has paid back about $7,500 and will continue to pay restitution.
The money will be repaid to the Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, which reimbursed St. Paul's.
http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/news/2226244/detail.html
OLATHE, Kan. -- A priest who acknowledged stealing from church funds to feed a gambling addiction was sentenced Friday to serve 48 hours in a county jail and spend time on probation.
The Rev. Anthony Williams, 51, a former pastor at St. Paul's Catholic Church, apologized for stealing $44,000 from church funds.
"I hate the fact that I'm a compulsive gambler," he said before being sentenced in Johnson County District Court.
Williams resigned in October after admitting to parishioners in a Sunday sermon he had a gambling problem.
His lawyer, Tom Bath, said Friday that Williams had received about seven months of treatment for his gambling addiction and recently was released from a program in the St. Louis area.
He was ordered to continue counseling while on probation. He also will not be allowed to work in a position where he has to deal with financial matters. Williams already has paid back about $7,500 and will continue to pay restitution.
The money will be repaid to the Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, which reimbursed St. Paul's.
http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/news/2226244/detail.html
