2 Women Post $100,000 Bond to Free Jailed Priest : Court: Prosecutors tell the parishioners that Father David Piroli is a high flight risk. A judge earlier had refused to lower bail.

Despite the concerns of prosecutors, two women described as parishioners posted a $100,000 bond Wednesday to free a Simi Valley priest jailed on charges of embezzling church money.

Father David Piroli was released from Ventura County Jail after one of the women put up $10,000 in cash and the other offered her residence as collateral.

“We’re very concerned,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Greg Totten said. “In our opinion he is a very high flight risk.”

Totten said the women were advised of the risk and the possibility that they could lose the money and home if Piroli, a fugitive before his arrest in July, tries to flee prosecution again.

“They said they were aware of the risk, but that this is something they wanted to do,” Totten said. “They felt it was something they had to do.”

The women declined to identify themselves or comment on the case. Nor would Piroli comment when he walked out of the jail with one of the women late Wednesday.

In a hearing Wednesday morning, Superior Court Judge Allan Steele refused to lower Piroli’s $100,000 bond because of the risk that he would flee to Mexico.

Piroli was an assistant pastor at St. Peter Claver Church when he disappeared June 3, one week after he was arrested in Los Angeles in a church-owned car with a small amount of cocaine and $10,000 in small bills, plus church collection envelopes.

Another $50,000 in cash was found in a search of Piroli’s room at the church rectory, along with more collection envelopes and parishioners’ donation checks.

Piroli was arrested July 30 at the Mexican border, two weeks after an arrest warrant was issued for him. He was caught by U. S. Border Patrol agents driving into California with two suspected illegal immigrants in the trunk of a newly purchased car.

Before his release on bail Wednesday, Piroli entered a not guilty plea to two counts of grand theft by embezzlement. One count accuses him of stealing collection money from St. Peter Claver from 1990 until his disappearance. The other alleges that he stole collection money from Sacred Heart Church in Saticoy, where he served from 1986 to 1990.

Piroli’s attorney, Richard Beada, sought the reduction of bond, arguing that his client would not flee but would reside with his mother. He said Piroli was returning to the United States to resolve the issue when he was arrested.

“You have to give an individual the benefit of a lifetime of helping the community,” Beada said. About a dozen supporters appeared in the courtroom on Piroli’s behalf.

After the bond was posted, Beada said Piroli was no more of a flight risk than anyone in any other case. “I expect that when you post bail, you will appear. I expect it even more so for him.”

Deputy Dist. Atty. Donna Thonis argued against any bond reduction because “the defendant has easy access to Mexico and lots of friends there. This man is clearly a flight risk.”

Totten said he could not comment on whether any steps would be taken to monitor Piroli’s whereabouts.