Cleveland, Ohio, Aug 21, 2007 / 08:58 am
The trial began yesterday for a former assistant treasurer of the Diocese of Cleveland, Anton Zgoznik, accused of taking part in widespread financial mismanagement and the embezzlement of church funds.
Zgoznik and the former chief financial officer of the diocese, Joseph Smith, face a total of 27 criminal charges, including money laundering and tax evasion, reported the New York Times.
Lawyers for the defendants, however, are pointing fingers at top Church officials. In documents filed in federal court, the lawyers say the diocese’s former bishop and a priest used secret accounts to embezzle millions of dollars from the diocese.
In a written statement, the diocese said such accusations are “scurrilous.”