News

Actions

5 years in prison for priest who stole thousands in Owosso

Posted

A retired priest has been sentenced to at least five years in prison for stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a Michigan church.

The Rev. David Fisher was pastor for 23 years at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Owosso, 90 miles northwest of Detroit. He was sentenced Friday and ordered to repay $127,000.

Fisher retired in 2015 and moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota. He'll be eligible for parole after five years in prison. His maximum sentence is 15 years in prison.

Other Michigan priests have been under scrutiny. The Rev. Richard Fritz was accused of stealing more than $100,000, but charges were dropped in St. Joseph County in July.

In the Lansing-area, the Rev. Jonathan Wehrle is charged with embezzling $100,000 or more from an Okemos church.