Collared Priest: Connecticut Catholic Priest Arrested for Allegedly Stealing $1.3 Million to Pay for Male Escorts and Hotels

Police in Waterbury, Connecticut have arrested Rev. Kevin J. Gray, 64, of Sacred Heart parish for allegedly not just stealing $1.3 million from the church coffers but spending it on male escorts, hotels, and even tuition at Harvard for a male friend. He reportedly told police that he “had grown to hate being a priest” and tired of having “to fix problems made by the previous priests.” Well, now others will be fixing his little problem.

Gray was reportedly bitter over a transfer to a church while his mother was dying that forced him to commute. The church then closed another church where he was sent. He also reportedly said that he was opposed to the Church’s stance on homosexuality because he was gay. (Presumably, he is also opposed to the celibacy rule).

According to the indictment, Gray allowed two men to have credit cards in their names on his account and paid for various other expenses — including tuition to Harvard and rent in New York City for one man.

While on medical leave, Gray was living with Weirui Zhong, 35, and reportedly told Zhong he was an attorney for Catholic Charities in New Haven who had attended Georgetown Law School. He was paying Zhong’s tuition at Harvard.
Police say that Gray would also pay for male escorts from Campus Escorts in New York and meet them in hotels.

The bills were quite impressive. Since May 2003, he cashed $655,936.48 worth of checks from church funds. That amount includes $205,679.78 for restaurants in New York, Boston and Connecticut as well as roughly $150,000 in stays at high-end hotels in New York City, Boston and New Haven.

This is not the only priest arrested this year (here). At least he was not stealing the money to hire a hit man or for botox. Gray was also more restrained than some recent priests arrested for stealing church funds.

Source: Courant