Former Catholic Charities Chief Charged With $43,000 Theft

The former director of Catholic Charities of Orange County has been charged with embezzling $43,000 from the diocesan organization, Assistant Dist. Atty. Maurice Evans said Thursday and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Allen Andrew Simmons, 38, of Orange is being sought for allegedly embezzling the money from Catholic Charities, which is partially financed by United Way of Orange County, between January and July of 1986, Evans said. Officials said Simmons, known as Brother Andrew, represented himself as a member of a religious order that the Catholic Church has not yet recognized.

According to Auxiliary Bishop John T. Steinbock of the Diocese of Orange, a confidential memo was circulated throughout the diocese in late January explaining that Simmons had been “relieved of his responsibilities” with Catholic Charities and that he was under investigation “concerning the use of funds.”

Simmons, listed in the 1986 directory of the county diocese as “Brother Allen Andrew,” could not be reached for comment.

Evans said that although Simmons “represented himself as a member of the Franciscan Brothers of Mary, Queen of Peace, our investigation has determined that that is not a recognized order.”

Sister Kristan Schlicte, the current director of Catholic Charities, confirmed that information regarding the $43,000 loss was turned over to the district attorney’s office but declined to comment on the details of the case on the advice of the diocese’s attorney.

Schlicte and Bishop Norman F. McFarland, who was installed Tuesday as bishop of the diocese, agreed that the matter had to be taken to law enforcement authorities.

“If we hadn’t wanted to” make the matter public, Schlicte said, “we wouldn’t have pressed charges.”

Said McFarland: “You don’t cover up something like this.”

Catholic Charities of Orange County’s budget for 1986 was $2,342,417, according to Schlicte. Approximately 20% of those funds, $461,000, came from United Way of Orange County.