A New York pastor has been accused of embezzling around $1 million, so as to maintain his costly affair with a male prostitute.
At the center of the scandal is 53-year old Reverend Peter Miqueli, who serves as a pastor at the St. Frances de Chantal Church, a Roman Catholic establishment located in Bronx, New York.
The alleged wrongdoings committed by the priest were exposed by Tatyana Gudin, who is the ex-girlfriend of Keith Crist, the man whose sexual favors had been sought by Miqueli through the website Rentboy.com.
Starting this summer, Gudin wrote emails to Timothy M. Dolan, archibishop of New York, in which she presented in great detail the sado-masochistic relationship between Miqueli, who had the role of the slave, and Crist, who was the master.
In the messages, Gudin explains how she saw reverend Miqueli wearing just a dog collar and chastity belt, as he was being punished by his lover using a wide variety of sex toys, including whips and dildos.
Moreover, the scorned ex-girlfriend has revealed that the ultimate sexual fantasy expressed by Miqueli was that he would be publicly degraded by Crist in Borough Park, Brooklyn, while in the presence of a Jewish young woman.
In addition, the priest is accused of having used his influence in order to aid Crist in becoming the manager of the St. Frances church thrift shop.
He allegedly fired prior personnel, in order to have his lover operate the business, which soon became extremely profitable, although declared incomes were of just $50,000 per year.
Actually, despite the fact that he was supposed living on a $2,474 monthly salary, Miqueli is claimed to have had very expensive tastes, travelling frequently (to Italy and Florida, especially) and having a penchant for Scotch Whiskey that cost a staggering $300 per bottle.
He is also claimed to have been paying Crist’s monthly rent (of around $1,075), and to have purchased a $264,000 ranch-style house located in the township of Brick, New Jersey.
Since 2009, that was the place where the trysts unfolded, and one of the most unsavory tidbits revealed by Gudin is that the illicit lovers had indulged in urophilia, ingesting urine for sexual gratification.
Moreover, as detailed in a lawsuit started by parishioners on Thursday, December 10, the priest paid around $1,000 for each sex session enjoyed alongside his male prostitute.
He is also believed to have spent an extra $60,000 in 2012, so as to buy drugs and prescription medication such as Dilaudid, which he shared with Crist.
Apparently, as the plaintiffs’ lawyer Michael Down explains, in order to continue this pricey forbidden affair, Miqueli stole money from the church’s own funds, amounting to a staggering $1,000,000.
More precisely, he used donations which had been left by churchgoers in collection plates, as well as funds that had been raised so as to buy a pipe organ for the St. Frances Cabrini Church, where he previously served as priest.
In fact, Janeen Ruzzi, one of the parishioners who filed the lawsuit against Miqueli, says that the pastor’s illegal activities had been common knowledge among numerous people, ever since the time when he held sermons at St Sylvester Church , on Staten Island.
Meanwhile, Joseph Zwilling, a representative of the Archdiocese of New York, has declared that officials have indeed been informed of these accusations, and are currently investigating the matter.
So far, Miqueli is still the leader of the parish, but has been placed on leave as the shocking allegations are being verified.
Image Source: Church Militant