Former Derry Township Priest Charged With Stealing Nearly $750,000 From Churches and His Own Mother

A former Ukrainian Catholic priest who served in Westmoreland County is facing criminal charges after investigators say he stole more than $740,000 from churches, a church-affiliated fraternal organization and his own mother over several years.

Gregory Allen Madeya, 69, was arrested last month in Vero Beach, Florida, and has since been extradited to Pennsylvania to face the charges. Investigators say his alleged scheme began in 2018 while he served at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in Derry Township, according to the Latrobe Bulletin.

According to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Madeya took nearly $250,000 from his mother, who officials say was at an age where she could no longer manage her own finances. Investigators also allege he fraudulently misappropriated close to $320,000 from churches and their donors, and took money from the Knights of Columbus.

Authorities say Madeya sold a church’s gold chalice to a local jeweler for $19,440 in personal profit and used church funds to purchase a $35,000 Mustang for someone living with him.

During the investigation, detectives said they recovered church offering collection envelopes discarded in Madeya’s trash. Investigators also said they found narcotics-related messages and photos of bank documents on his electronic devices.

Madeya appeared in court Wednesday in Jeannette, a small borough near Pittsburgh, where he waived his preliminary hearing, sending the case directly to trial court, according to court documents.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday condemned the alleged conduct in a statement.

“It is unconscionable to see a supposed man of God exploiting not only the churches he served, but his own mother. This defendant abused the trust of those around him, and left them to recover from mammoth financial losses.”

Madeya faces felony charges including dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, theft by unlawful taking, and financial exploitation of an older adult or care-dependent person, among other counts.

St. Josaphat Eparchy, which oversees Ukrainian Catholic churches in the region, and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church have not yet commented publicly on the charges. Madeya’s attorney has also not issued a statement.