Man sentenced for taking priest's money

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - A Buffalo man who fooled a local monsignor into giving him more than half a million dollars is going to prison.  In court Wednesday, Richard Kesick said he’s apologizing and takes full responsibility for taking more than $500,000 from a Buffalo priest.

Kesick was sentenced in Erie County Court to serve two to six years behind bars. In October, the 57-year-old man pleaded guilty to grand larceny. He confessed that from 2001 to 2012 he asked the Buffalo monsignor for loans that he never paid back.

Kesick says he told the priest he needed the money to pay for a ransom, bail and medical expenses. Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita said Kesick also pretended to be a judge and insurance company representative on the phone in order to get the priest to believe that the funds would be repaid. 

Kesick’s attorney Robert Cutting says his client kept coming back for money to fuel his gambling addiction, spending up to $15,000 at a casino in one weekend alone.

An investigator in this case, Lieutenant William Krier, says when Kesick approached the priest he was very believable and easy to feel sorry for. So believable, he took the priest’s life savings.

Krier said, “Every amount of money that was given was a loan and the priest believed he was going to get it back someday. Kesick held out that he was receiving an inheritance and that as soon as he received the inheritance, he would pay the priest back.”

Sedita said Kesick’s criminal history dates back to 1972. In addition to the grand larceny conviction, Kesick has been convicted of burglary, forgery, criminal possession of stolen property and arson.

In court, the judge ordered Kesick to stay away from the priest. He also required to pay $500,000 in restitution, along with court surcharges.