HARTFORD, Conn. -- A former New England priest was sentenced to three years in prison for embezzling more than $1 million from the collection plate.
Michael Jude Fay went before a federal judge Tuesday after pleading guilty in September to a charge of interstate transportation of money obtained by fraud.
The Hartford Courant said Fay had dipped into the donations to his church in Darien and used the money for a down payment on a condo in Philadelphia, and to pay for trips that included stays at top hotels, such as the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton.
The newspaper said Fay made an impassioned plea for leniency, but U.S. District Judge Janet Arterton wasn't moved -- telling Fay if he wanted to redeem himself through good works he could do so in prison.
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