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This article was published 12/12/2017 (1016 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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An Anglican priest who used the church credit card to make more than $190,000 in unauthorized, private purchases pleaded guilty to theft in Brandon Court of Queen’s Bench on Monday.

Noah James Bernard Njegovan was charged with theft over $5,000 and fraud over $5,000 for stealing from the Anglican Church of Canada, The Diocese of Brandon between Jan. 26, 2010 and Aug. 27, 2012 — where he was an executive archdeacon at the time.

The fraud charges have since been stayed by the Crown.

Njegovan used the church credit card 1,003 times during the 31-month period, racking up a total amount of $192,000 in bills, Crown attorney Marnie Evans told the court.

Civil court documents filed in 2014 alleged Njegovan used the church credit cards for things such as cash advances, meals, bar and hotel tabs and three trips to Las Vegas.

The charges initially went undetected because frequent payments were made from a diocese savings account using internet banking — a procedure not normally used and not authorized, Evans said.

"(Njegovan) hid the credit card spending from scrutiny by the executive committee, he did not show his expenditures in his office budget and spent far beyond his budget without telling the executive committee," Evans said.

"He hid the credit card statements and failed to provide receipts to show that spending was for business purposes … He also lied to church auditors in 2010 about the purpose of bank withdrawals he’d made to pay off the credit card, claiming they were for something else."

Njegovan has since paid The Diocese of Brandon back in full, Evans said.

"We’re very pleased that this is coming to a close," Rt. Revd. William Cliff said outside the court room. "We’re hopeful that kind of redemption can spill over for everybody and that we can move on — both the diocese and the Njegovan family — and enjoy new relationships with everybody."

The Diocese of Brandon also issued a statement yesterday, stating that effective Dec. 8 Njegovan had "relinquished the exercise of ordained ministry pursuant to the Canon XIX of the Anglican Church of Canada." The statement means he will no longer function or be listed as a priest.

A sentencing hearing has been scheduled in January.

» edebooy@brandonsun.com

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