by Joe Bollig
joe.bollig@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The former director of a parish day-care program here has been charged with the theft of funds from that program.
Nancy Ann Fisackerly, 44, from Lenexa, was charged with two criminal counts of theft on April 12. Wyandotte County District Attorney Jerome A. Gorman brought the charges.
Parishioners at St. Patrick Parish, Kansas City, Kan., were informed of the alleged theft from the St. Patrick Day Care and Early Education Center by pastor Msgr. Michael Mullen at Masses April 12 and 13.
According to his statement, the possibility that day-care funds had been stolen was discovered in October 2007. The parish accountant brought the matter to the attention of Msgr. Mullen immediately, who informed officials of the archdiocese that same day.
An internal auditor from the church offices was immediately tasked with examining the day-care records, and confirmed that there appeared to be a problem. Upon this confirmation, the archdiocesan attorney was informed, who in turn reported the findings to the Wyandotte County district attorney.
“We are cooperating fully with the district attorney and with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation,” said Msgr. Mullen. “We are also reviewing all our internal financial procedures and controls.”
Fisackerly was director of the St. Patrick Day Care and Early Childhood Center from 1995 to May 2007, when the day care was closed.
The district attorney did not release the exact amount of the alleged theft, but the first count involved the theft of money between $25,000 and $100,000, and the second count involved the theft of money over $100,000.
Both charges involve money allegedly diverted from day-care funds for the past five years. Primarily, the funds were payments by parents for day-care services, but some were funds provided by the state of Kansas for food and milk programs.
Gorman initiated the investigation, but asked that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation take the leading role in it.
