BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Buffalo man pleaded guilty to grand larceny after stealing more than $10,000 from a church.
Francis R. Winiarski, 67, entered the guilty Thursday morning in Erie County Court. He's charged with one felony count of grand larceny, and he faces up to seven years in prison when he's sentenced on Dec. 19.
Winiarski has been released. The charge is a non-qualifying offense for bail.
Prosecutors in the office of Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane said that Winiarski stole money from Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Amherst Street in Buffalo between Aug. 1, 2023, and March 3, 2024. He was a volunteer at the parish.
"The defendant pocketed cash, given by parishioners during the offering, by tampering with the collection bags," the district attorney's office said.
Winiarski signed a confession of judgment and agreed to pay $10,699 in restitution as part of his plea agreement.
