Man impersonates Catholic priest to con church goers
For years, a man officiated Mass, took confessions and performed other rites of the Catholic Church. And the people of Southern California called him "Padre."
But there’s a glitch, he's never been a Catholic priest. The police described him as a con man.
According to CNN, Ervin Mena is now behind bars in a Los Angeles jail, after a felony warrant was issued for his arrest. Mena, 59, has now been charged with perjury and grand theft.
"Over the course of several years, Mena visited multiple Catholic Parishes throughout the Los Angeles Area and portrayed himself as a Catholic Priest," the Los Angeles Police Department reportedly said in a statement. "Mena officiated church ceremonies and solicited donations on behalf of the church(s), but kept the money for himself."
The LAPD arrested him on Tuesday, taking him into custody without incident.
"We are grateful to the Los Angeles Police Department for working to ensure that Erwin Mena was brought to justice," said a statement from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. "Our prayers go out to all the victims of his scam."
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