By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Wednesday, April 15, 2026

An Arizona man who served as the former business manager for two Roman Catholic parishes in New York could now face up to four years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing more than $82,000 from the Erie County churches.

Keith M. Call, 63, of Phoenix, who previously lived in Grand Island, New York, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to two counts of fourth-degree grand larceny against the churches, according to a press release from the office of Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane.

According to the charges against Call, from around May 23, 2024, to Aug. 13, 2025, while he worked for St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church of Swormville, he stole some $23,408.63. Call pilfered the money by “making unauthorized purchases and diverting cash from multiple fundraisers for his own personal gain.” He also opened a gas credit card and purchased gasoline without authorization from the church.

In 2025, while he worked for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church in Williamsville, Call stole a total of $59,043.27, Keane’s office claimed. Call was charged with issuing fraudulent checks to himself,  which he claimed were for work he did for the parish.

The theft was discovered during an audit after Call resigned from his role at the church in August 2025. Call was required to repay $82,451.90 to the churches as part of his plea on Tuesday.

He is expected to be sentenced on May 18 and was released on his own recognizance.

In a separate case involving a Catholic church, last Friday, Archbishop of Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich announced that Father Kenneth Anderson, who led St. John Henry Newman Parish in Evanston, Illinois, had resigned after an investigation found he misappropriated church funds for personal expenses.

While the amount was not disclosed, church officials reported it as “substantial” following an internal audit.

“That review has revealed that Father Anderson violated a number of core archdiocesan policies pertaining to the proper exercise of good stewardship of parish resources. These violations included the creation and maintenance of a separate bank account into which he deposited substantial parish funds,” Cupich wrote in his letter. “Some of these monies were used to cover costs unrelated to parish needs, including his personal expenses.”

While the police were not called in for this case, some church members felt the authorities should have been called in, while others suggested prayer.

“As a Catholic, I believe we’re all sinners, and we all fall down and should have a chance to get up,” Beverly Hand of St. Joan of Arc Church, CP reported. “What Father Anderson really needs right now are our prayers.”

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/business-manager-admits-to-stealing-over-82k-from-churches.html