Washington County Priest Pleads Guilty to Stealing Church Donations, Pays $155K in Restitution

November 14, 2024 | Topic: Criminal

HARRISBURG – Attorney General Michelle Henry announced that a Washington County-based priest has pleaded guilty to felony theft regarding misappropriations of hundreds of church donation checks, which the priest signed and deposited via ATM transactions for personal use.

George Athanasiou, 37, was a priest at All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in Canonsburg when he stole the checks, which he was not permitted to sign, endorse, or deposit.

At the time of his plea Wednesday in Washington County Court, Athanasiou paid $155,000 in restitution.

He will be sentenced on February 18, 2025.

“Stealing money is theft, plain and simple, whether it is committed by a petty criminal or a trusted faith leader, which was the case here — this priest betrayed parishioners by stealing donations that otherwise would have benefited the church,” Attorney General Henry said. “This plea to a felony charge holds the defendant accountable for his conduct, while also providing a significant restitution payment that will go to the church community.”

The Office of Attorney General investigation uncovered more than 200 unauthorized ATM transactions, between 2022 and 2023, involving church donation checks.

The investigation, which included video evidence, showed Athanasiou endorsing and depositing checks using an ATM.

During a police interview, Athanasiou admitted to stealing the checks and endorsing them, knowing he was not permitted to do so.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Evan Lowry.

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