WARWICK, Rhode Island — A former Catholic priest in Rhode Island is accused of using parish money to make $40,000 in purchases before leaving the priesthood in 2019.
Steven Matthew Glover, 42, of Coventry, has been charged with larceny, obtaining money under false pretenses and fraudulent use of a credit card, Rhode Island State Police announced Wednesday.
Before resigning as pastor of St. Rose and Clement Parish in Warwick, Glover allegedly used parish money to reimburse himself for several thousand dollars in purchases for furniture, a television, a video game console and laptop computers.
Police say he also used a parish credit card to buy furniture for his home, and separately used parish money to cover a furniture purchase that he later canceled and had refunded to his personal credit card.
A search of Glover’s home on Tuesday led to the seizure of electronics and furniture, police say. Glover was arraigned and released. It was not immediately clear if he has an attorney.
Glover served as a priest from 2004 to 2019. Police say he left the priesthood for personal reasons unrelated to the allegations.
The Diocese of Providence issued a statement saying it will continue to cooperate with police, calling the charges “very serious and deeply disturbing.”
