Pastor Caught on Video Taking Money From Church Offering 9 Times Cleared After Court Dismisses Case
The criminal charges against a New York City pastor who congregants accused of taking money from the church's offering plate at least nine different times last year have been dropped after the pastor claimed he used the money for church-related expenses.
Pastor Daniel Impaglia of the evangelical Rock Church in Manhattan's Upper East Side was arrested and charged with petit larceny last November after congregants claimed to have video evidence of him stealing from the church offering.
Although congregants charged that the 71-year-old Impaglia stole church donations at least nine different times between Oct. 28 and Nov. 21, 2016, Impaglia refused to resign as the church's pastor despite some members insisting on his resignation.
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But according to the New York Post, New York Judge Gilbert Hong dismissed the nine counts of petit larceny against Impaglia, who was formally charged with stealing $238 from the church.
Subsequently, the Manhattan District Attorney's office dropped the case because it could not be "proven beyond a reasonable doubt," that Impaglia is guilty of stealing.
In January, Impaglia's lawyer, Joseph Indusi, claimed in court that Impaglia routinely took the money as petty cash to pay for church-related expenses and repairs to the aging church building, where Impaglia also lived. Indusi further argued that the accusations of theft are an "outrage."
Indusi asserted that the accusations are just a sign of "desperation" from the members of the church that want Impaglia gone.
"He took money to buy light bulbs and Sunday school supplies for the congregation," Indusi was quoted as saying.
Impaglia told the Daily News that he had a receipt for everything that he purchased with the money.
"For every expenditure, I have a receipt which I presented," Impaglia said. "Children's education, maintenance, light bulbs."
"I would fix doorknobs," Impaglia added. "It's an old building I was doing the purchases — I live in the building, these were things that needed to be done."
A prosecutor had previously said in court that Impaglia told a police officer after his arrest that the church "don't pay me enough."
"I have no access to any funds but my salary paycheck I get once a week," Impaglia was quoted as telling the police officer.
Although Impaglia maintains that he only took the money to pay for repairs to the church and for Sunday School expenses, the congregants criminal complaint against him states that some of the offerings he took were designated by church by-laws to be used only for the church's missionary fund.
One of the congregants who opposes Impaglia, Solomon Milliner, attended the court hearing and told the Daily News that he believes that Impaglia is lying about the receipts and the repairs to the building.
"We have a custodian that does that," Milliner said. "Eduardo — he works at the church. That's his job to do these things."Even though Impaglia was only criminally charged with taking $238, an affidavit filed in the civil case against him accuses him of of either stealing or misusing over $8,000, according to the New York Post.
"I'm outraged, I'm disgusted, we had visual truth," congregant Sue Cruz told the New York Post. "He's a monster and anyone who gets to know him will know that."
"He's not off the hook," she added. "God is a just judge and he is going to receive the justice of God."
