Ex-priest charged in nearly $750K theft spree targeting church groups and his mother, officials say

A Pennsylvania priest is facing charges after prosecutors say he stole more than $740,000 from churches, church affiliates – and his own mother.

Gregory Allen Madeya, 69, was arrested last month in and was later extradited back to Pennsylvania.

Investigators say he is a former Ukrainian Catholic priest whose crimes started in 2018.

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He served at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in Derry Township, according to the Latrobe Bulletin.

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Madeya allegedly stole from various churches and the Knights of Columbus as well as "nearly $250,000 from his mother, who was of the age when she could not manage her own finances," the attorney general's office said.

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Following a lengthy investigation, detectives uncovered that Madeya allegedly fraudulently misappropriated nearly $320,000 from churches and donors.

He also allegedly sold one churchs gold chalice to a local jeweler for $19,440 personal gain. Investigators allege he also used church funds to buy a $35,000 Mustang for someone living with him.

In his trash, investigators said they found offering collection envelopes. Narcotics messages and photos of bank documents were also uncovered on Madeya's electronic devices.

He appeared in court Wednesday in Jeanette, a small town outside of Pittsburgh, and waived his preliminary hearing, opting to take the case directly to court, court documents reveal.

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In a statement, Attorney General Dave Sunday said, "It is unconscionable to see a supposed man of God exploiting not only the churches he served, but his own mother. This defendant abused the trust of those around him, and left them to recover from mammoth financial losses."

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Madeya is charged with felony dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, theft by unlawful taking, and financial exploitation of an older adult or care-dependent person, among others.

In an email sent to Fox News Digital, an attorney representing Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church confirmed Madeye has been suspended from priestly ministry. 

"He is prohibited from serving in his capacity as a priest, nor present himself as a priest," attorney Robert G. Del Greco Jr. said. 

In regard to the financial impact on the churches, Del Greco Jr. said, "It has been a