Dec 19, 2023 By Mike Jones 3 min read

The defense attorney for the Greek Orthodox priest accused of stealing more than $117,000 from his church in North Strabane said his client is currently working on a plan to repay the money.

George Frank Athanasiou declined to comment as he left the courtroom upon a brief appearance Monday before District Judge Michael Manfredi, but his lawyer, Patrick Thomassey, said he was working to raise the money to pay back the church.

“People are upset, but a lot of people (at the church) are supporting the father,” Thomassey said. “I’ll tell you right now, but (Athanasiou is) going to pay it all back.”

Athanasiou, who was charged last month with more than 220 felony counts related to the alleged theft of at least $117,620 from the church, waived his right to a preliminary hearing before Manfredi, allowing the case to proceed to Washington County Court of Common Pleas.

North Strabane police charged Athanasiou, 37, of Cecil Township, with numerous felony counts of theft, forgery, bad checks and access device fraud after investigators said he stole money from All Saints Greek Orthodox Church from April 2022 until this past November. Church officials told police that they noticed discrepancies with their accounting books in September and found that multiple checks had been taken and deposited in an unauthorized bank account, according to court documents.

Security footage from an ATM allegedly showed Athanasiou depositing checks into the machine, prompting investigators to serve a search warrant at Athanasiou’s apartment in Southpointe on Nov. 19. Investigators wrote in court documents that they found a bank card Athanasiou allegedly used, along with an ATM receipt and an opened church donation letter that was missing the check.

According to court documents, Athanasiou allegedly confessed to police that he had been stealing money from the church “due to personal hardships.” Thomassey said Monday that Athanasiou spent the money gambling.

“That’s not uncommon today,” Thomassey said.

Thomassey did not indicate what Athanasiou is doing to raise money to repay the church or whether a plea deal is in the works with prosecutors. The case has been turned over to the state Attorney General’s office for prosecution because there are members of All Saints Greek Orthodox Church who work in the Washington County district attorney’s office, according to Thomassey.

Athanasiou, who is suspended without pay from the church, is free on $250,000 unsecured bond while he waits for his case to be adjudicated.