Real estate con man Raffaello Follieri pleaded guilty earlier today to one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering. Details of his $2 million dollar swindle are starting to come out. One of the more interesting was a letter FBI investigators found in Follieri's possesion. From the US Attorney General office press release (PDF):
For those following the Follieri/Galante timeline, this is a full year before Bishop Joseph Galante sold his personal beach house to Follieri for $400,000 and began a plan to sell off half of properties in the diocese.
Diocesan spokesperson Andrew Walton has repeatedly told reporters that their introduction to Follieri came from a 2004 phone call from the Vatican but has never been able to answer questions as to who called or what Vatican office they represented. Now we know that the second most powerful man in the Catholic Church had disavowed the Folleri connection.
DIOCESAN EMPLOYEES PART OF THE SWINDLE
The Department of Justice also says that of the techniques that Follieri used to convince investors that he could buy church properties below market value was through "meetings with clergy; and travels with monsignors." We know from previous reports that at lease one of these traveling companions was Monsignor William Hodge of Atlantic City who reportedly travelled with Follieri on Diocesan time.
More to come soon we suspect.
[I]in March 2006, the Secretary of State of the Vatican warned FOLLIERI in writing that FOLLIERI should stop representing that FOLLIERI and his company had ties to the Vatican. FOLLIERI, however, did not stop; even after being warned by the then-Secretary of State of the Vatican to cease and desist making any claims of ties to the Vatican, FOLLIERI told investors and others that he was handling the Vatican's financial affairs Chief Financial Officer of the Vatican.A YEAR BEFORE GALANTE DEAL
For those following the Follieri/Galante timeline, this is a full year before Bishop Joseph Galante sold his personal beach house to Follieri for $400,000 and began a plan to sell off half of properties in the diocese.
Diocesan spokesperson Andrew Walton has repeatedly told reporters that their introduction to Follieri came from a 2004 phone call from the Vatican but has never been able to answer questions as to who called or what Vatican office they represented. Now we know that the second most powerful man in the Catholic Church had disavowed the Folleri connection.
DIOCESAN EMPLOYEES PART OF THE SWINDLE
The Department of Justice also says that of the techniques that Follieri used to convince investors that he could buy church properties below market value was through "meetings with clergy; and travels with monsignors." We know from previous reports that at lease one of these traveling companions was Monsignor William Hodge of Atlantic City who reportedly travelled with Follieri on Diocesan time.
More to come soon we suspect.