Priest at North Strabane church accused of stealing more than $117K
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Courtesy of All Saints Greek Orthodox ChurchGeorge Athanasiou
A priest at All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in North Strabane Township faces criminal charges alleging he stole more than $117,000 from the church.
North Strabane police charged George Frank Athanasiou, 37, of Cecil Township, Wednesday with more than 220 felonies related to theft and fraud.
According to the criminal complaint, the church became aware of discrepancies in the books in September, and learned soon after that multiple checks had been stolen and deposited into an unauthorized bank account.
Investigators obtained security footage from an ATM that showed Athanasiou depositing checks into the machine. On Nov. 19, police served a search warrant at Athanasiou’s home at the 1400 Main St. apartment complex in Cecil.
According to court records, police found the bank card that Athanasiou allegedly used, an ATM receipt and an opened church donation letter missing a check.
Court documents state Athanasiou confessed to police that he had been stealing money from the church “due to personal hardships.”
State police said between April 2022 and November 2023, Athanasiou stole $117,620, but state in the complaint that the amount may not be a full accounting.
“These figures are preliminary and will require extensive internal investigation by the church,” police wrote in the complaint.
Church officials declined to comment, but provided a letter from Metropolitan Savas to the congregation. The bishop’s letter states that Athanasiou has been suspended without pay until the criminal case has concluded and called the situation “deeply distressing for all of us.
“Fr. George is a beloved member of our families, and we must pray for him and for all those affected by this situation,” the letter stated. “May God guide us all in the difficult days to come, as we work together for the healing and advancement of our beloved All Saints community.”
Athanasiou was arraigned Wednesday afternoon before District Judge Michael Manfredi, who released him on $250,000 unsecured bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. Dec. 18.