Fundraiser charged in Mass. Catholic school ruse

[Dale_M]

For the Venerini Sisters, it seemed like the answer to their prayers: An anonymous donor, lined up by a professional fundraiser, willing to give at least $3 million to finance an expansion of a private school run by the order of Roman Catholic nuns.

The would-be benefactor, known only by his first name of Arthur, chatted amiably on the telephone with school administrators. And although no money exchanged hands, trust — or perhaps naivete — led the nuns to hire a general contractor and begin construction on the project at the Venerini Academy in Worcester. The work would stop months later when it become clear there was no money — and no Arthur, Attorney General Martha Coakley said.

The order had been duped into paying $370,000 to Hlady and his company, KAM Fundraising, Inc., between September 2008 and February 2010, money he used on personal expenses, including travel and adult entertainment, Coakley said.

For the Venerini Sisters, the deception has left them with an uncompleted and unusable expansion project and owing nearly $3 million to contractors who have filed civil lawsuits against the school, Coakley said.

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100402/ap_on_bi_ge/us_catholic_school_swindle;_ylt=Ap8w5gZDDXCH1wPV_RKI1bdvzwcF;_ylu=X3oDMTJ2ZmxlbW4yBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwNDAyL3VzX2NhdGhvbGljX3NjaG9vbF9zd2luZGxlBHBvcwM2BHNlYwN5bl9hcnRpY2xlX3N1bW1hcnlfbGlzdARzbGsDZnVuZHJhaXNlcmNo

 

[Holly3278]

How horrible. This man who claimed that he would do this should be deeply ashamed of himself. I really feel sorry for these nuns. Maybe someone will step up and help them to pay off their debt. I wish I could but I have a very limited budget as it is.