Former Priest Charged With Theft

HARRISBURG – Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that a former Western Pennsylvania-based Ukrainian Catholic priest is charged with theft and financial exploitation regarding more than $740,000 stolen from three churches, church affiliates, and the priest’s own mother. Gregory Allen Madeya, 69, is charged with felony dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, theft by unlawful taking, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, financial exploitation of an older adult or care-dependent person, and access device fraud. Madeya, now residing in Florida, was arrested Friday in Vero Beach, and is awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania. According to the investigation, Madeya is charged with thefts dating back to 2018. He stole from churches and the Knights of Columbus, and nearly $250,000 from his mother, who was of the age when she could not manage her own finances. “It is unconscionable to see a supposed man of God exploiting not only the churches he served, but his own mother,” Attorney General Sunday said. “This defendant abused the trust of those around him, and left them to recover from mammoth financial losses.” These charges stem from a multi-year, exhaustive investigation into Madeya’s conduct. On Madeya’s electronic devices, investigators found messages and photos related to narcotics as well as photographs of debit cards and bank documents related to his church, St. John the Baptist. In Madeya’s trash, agents found several church-offering collection envelopes.



