Nun Convicted for Stealing $1m to Feed Gambling Addiction

Sister Marie Thornton used to be a nun at the Iona Catholic College. She worked as the college financial officer and was a beloved nun who no one suspected to be a gambling addict and an embezzler.

Sister Susie, as she was known at the college, embezzled over $1 million of the college funds over the course of 10 years working for the college. According to US Attorney Preet Bharara “She covered up the thousands she would lose by systematically submitting false vendor invoices for reimbursement to Iona College and submitting credit-card bills for personal expenses to be paid by Iona College,”

With the money she embezzled she took weekend trips to Jersey Shore, often with unsuspecting family members or friends, and spent the day playing at a casino. She did not have a favorite casino but in every casino she attended she always played slots.

Sister Susie would normally spend from $2,000 to $5,000 on playing slots during each of her visits but once she managed to spend $10,000 on playing slots. She always used the corporate credit card the college had in order to buy casino chips.

The college discovered the embezzlement in 2009 and fired the nun. They did not report it to the authorities. The federal authorities opened an investigation of the embezzlement only after the college filled its tax papers that indicated the embezzlement.

A federal investigation ensued and criminal charges were filed against the nun. The judge could have sentenced her to 3 years in a federal prison but instead choose to punish her only with 2,000-hours of community service and 3 years probation if she ever commits a crime again.

The college received $500,000 from its insurance company and elected not to seek restitution from the nun. Instead she was transported to a Convent in Philadelphia where she is in seclusion and is not permitted to interact with the other nuns.