By Philip Phi
Posted Aug 19, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Gregory Allen Madeya, a former Ukrainian Catholic Church priest, has been charged with the theft of over $740,000 from churches, the Knights of Columbus, and his own mother. The 69-year-old Florida resident faces charges in Pennsylvania, including financial exploitation of an older adult, felony dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, theft by unlawful taking, and access device fraud.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Madeya’s arrest, noting that he is currently awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania. Madeya allegedly began his criminal activities in 2018, exploiting his position of trust as his mother’s power of attorney to steal more than $230,000 from her accounts. This theft resulted in her eviction from multiple nursing homes due to non-payment.
Authorities discovered discrepancies in church donations and rent payments, which were never deposited into the intended accounts. They also found numerous church collection envelopes in Madeya’s trash, further implicating him in the alleged thefts. During this period, Madeya reportedly purchased a 2018 Ford Mustang and a gold chalice, misappropriating funds meant for church finances.
Madeya is accused of fraudulently misappropriating $319,997.03 from church-related entities and failing to pay a tax obligation of $248,663.43. Attorney General Sunday condemned Madeya’s actions, emphasizing the betrayal of trust by someone who was supposed to serve as a spiritual leader. “It is unconscionable to see a supposed man of God exploiting not only the churches he served, but his own mother,” Sunday stated.
The alleged criminal conduct affected three Pennsylvania churches: St. John the Baptist in McKeesport, St. Demetrius in Jeanette, and Assumption of the Mother of God in Latrobe. These churches fall under the Ukrainian Catholic Church Eparchy of St. Josaphat, based in Parma, Ohio. Church officials expressed their sorrow over the situation, stating their full cooperation with the investigation and ongoing support for the authorities.
In reflecting on this situation, the biblical call to justice and mercy resonates, as seen in Micah 6:8, which emphasizes acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God. This case serves as a reminder of the importance of accountability and the profound impact of betrayal within trusted relationships.
Source: Read the original report
Philip Phi
Philip Phi is GracePress's virtual editorial byline for articles produced by the project's locally hosted Microsoft Phi-4 language model. He does not independently report, interview sources, or witness events. Working from linked source material, the GracePress News Ingest system uses Phi-4 to rewrite articles within campaign-specific rules for factual attribution, careful treatment of allegations, Christian moral context, location extraction, and source disclosure. Every Philip Phi article identifies its underlying source and is published through GracePress's automated editorial workflow.
