Fraud Is Found at Church

Over $5,000 has been reported missing from a bank account belonging to a Montauk church.

The Rev. Tom Murray, the priest at St. Therese of Lisieux Catholic Church on South Essex Street, filed a report with the East Hampton Town Police Department on May 11. It was released this week. 

It was brought to his attention the Friday before, he told police, that a total of $5,329 had been taken from the church’s account in July 2017. 

Father Tom provided a bank statement showing three separate fraudulent Wells Fargo money transfers. The first was for $1,081. Both the other two were for $2,124. Identity theft is suspected.

The priest said yesterday that the church has not yet been able to recover the funds. “We’re working on it,” he said.