Church Business Manager Pleads Guilty to Stealing 2K From Two Catholic Parishes

Former Church Business Manager Pleads Guilty to Stealing Over $82,000 From Two Catholic Parishes in Erie County

Keith M. Call, 63, of Phoenix, Arizona, has pleaded guilty to two counts of fourth degree grand larceny after admitting he stole a combined $82,451.90 from two Roman Catholic parishes in Erie County, New York.

Call, who formerly lived in Grand Island, New York, served as the business manager for both St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church of Swormville and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church in Williamsville.

According to the Erie County District Attorney's Office, between May 23, 2024, and August 13, 2025, Call stole $23,408.63 from St. Mary's by making unauthorized purchases, diverting cash from multiple fundraisers for his own personal gain, and opening a gas credit card without authorization from the church to purchase gasoline.

In 2025, while working at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Call stole an additional $59,043.27 by issuing fraudulent checks payable to himself, claiming they were for work he had done for the parish.

The theft was discovered during an audit conducted after Call resigned from his position in August 2025. As a condition of his plea agreement, Call is required to repay the full $82,451.90 to the two parishes.

Call was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2026. He faces up to four years in prison for the two felony counts.

Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane's office announced the charges and plea agreement. The case underscores a troubling pattern of financial crimes against houses of worship in the Diocese of Buffalo, which has faced multiple embezzlement cases involving parish employees in recent years.

Church Manager Faces Prison After Admitting to $82K Theft From Diocese of Buffalo Parishes

The Diocese of Buffalo has been plagued by multiple instances of financial misconduct by parish employees. In separate cases, former employees have been convicted of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from area churches, raising serious questions about financial oversight within the diocese.

Call's guilty plea adds to a growing list of betrayals of trust within Catholic parishes, where congregants donate funds in good faith expecting them to support the mission of the church.

The Crusader's Opinion

This is what happens when the wolves get the keys to the sheepfold. A man entrusted with the finances of two parishes used that sacred trust to line his own pockets with over $82,000 in stolen donations. Money that faithful Catholics gave sacrificially, money meant for the work of God, redirected into fraudulent checks and unauthorized gas cards. The sheer brazenness of writing checks to yourself from a church account should tell you everything about the state of this man's conscience. Four years in prison is not enough for someone who stole from the Body of Christ. Every dollar taken was a betrayal not just of two parishes, but of every parishioner who dropped their hard earned offering into that collection plate trusting it would serve the Lord.

Take Action

• Contact the Diocese of Buffalo and urge stronger financial oversight and mandatory third party audits for all parish accounts: www.buffalodiocese.org
• Reach out to the Erie County District Attorney's Office to express support for maximum sentencing in cases of church theft: www4.erie.gov/da
• If you attend a parish, ask your pastor about the financial controls in place and volunteer to serve on a parish finance council
• Support churches recovering from financial crimes by donating to The Shepherd's Shield: www.TheShepherdsShield.org
• Report suspected financial misconduct at your church to local law enforcement immediately. Do not wait for an internal investigation