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| "Didn't I say not to reveal all the money I spent on Girl Scout Cookies? Do you know how much trouble your Brownies got me into?" |
Former Inver Grove Heights pastor sentenced to year in jail in scheme to defraud his synod - TwinCities.com:
Former Inver Grove Heights pastor sentenced to year in jail in scheme to defraud his synod
By Christopher Magan
cmagan@pioneerpress.com
A Dakota County District Court judge found some middle ground between the drastically different portrayals by defense and prosecuting attorneys of Leon E. Piepenbrink, who admitted to embezzling money from a Wisconsin synod.
The defense presented the story of a man who took money to help the needy, admitted to his crime and should avoid jail because he already lost everything because of it.
In contrast, prosecutors said the former pastor developed an elaborate scheme to defraud his church for years and lied and forged documents to keep his thefts hidden.
In the end, Judge David L. Knutson accepted some of each portrayal and sentenced Piepenbrink Tuesday, July 24, to a year in the county jail and 20 years probation for taking as much as $300,000 from the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
"I do find you have expressed remorse and accepted responsibility for your actions," Knutson said. "I don't find you at risk to reoffend. There is no justification for this, absolutely none, whatsoever."
The 52-year-old Piepenbrink, of St. Paul, had pleaded guilty to seven charges of theft by swindle in April.
Piepenbrink, who worked with the Hmong community from an office at Shepherd of the Hills Church in Inver Grove Heights, was fired in August 2010 when allegations arose. The thefts took place from 2007 to 2010.
Piepenbrink's attorney, Kenneth Udoibok, said Tuesday he was surprised at the length of the jail term. "What he did was wrong," Udoibok said.
"I'm comforted in knowing everything he took wasn't to enrich himself, but to help needy people."
Prosecutor Scott Hersey had asked the judge to follow the conclusion of a presentencing investigation and incarcerate Piepenbrink for 27 months. He called Piepenbrink's claim that he took money to help the needy "highly suspicious" and characterized the crimes as a violation of trust.
"Every time he took money he had a chance to stop," Hersey said. "I imagine it took quite a number of collection plates to come up with $300,000."
Piepenbrink was also ordered to pay restitution and how much he took is still in question. Udoibok is expected to request a restitution hearing in the coming days. Prosecutors say he took $301,581 between May 2007 and July 2010, but Piepenbrink claims the amount is much less, about $90,000.
It's also unclear where the money went. Piepenbrink says he gave it to needy families and a pastor from Laos he recruited to come to the U.S. for training. Piepenbrink was working to set up a ministry in Laos.
The synod is a fellowship of about 1,279 churches and 389,545 members in 48 states, the group reported.
Before sentencing, Piepenbrink said he wanted to prove his remorse through his day-to-day actions."
"It is not an understatement to say I lost the trust and respect of practically everyone I know," Piepenbrink told the judge. "I have to accept that and deal with it the rest of my life."
Christopher Magan can be reached at 651-228-5557. Follow him at twitter.com/cmaganPiPress.
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| Got a top lawyer, got less than a year in the klink, got work release! He is still on the WELS.net website. |
