Judge to Rule on Confiscated Funds

A judge said Friday that he would soon issue a written decision on who is entitled to about $65,000 confiscated from the car, office and bedroom of a Simi Valley priest once accused of stealing from his former parishioners.

Superior Court Judge Allan Steele did not specify when he would issue his opinion on the fate of money seized by police from Father David Dean Piroli.

Piroli was acquitted last month of an embezzlement charge by a Superior Court jury, which deadlocked 9 to 3 in favor of acquittal on a grand-theft charge.

During the six-week trial, the defense maintained that a senior pastor framed Piroli by planting much of the money found in his room at St. Peter Claver in Simi Valley and inside his church-owned car. The embezzlement charge stemmed from accusations against Piroli at Sacred heart Church in Saticoy.

Piroli’s attorney argued Friday that about $11,000 of the confiscated money belongs to the priest, as well as $23,000 frozen in Piroli’s bank accounts.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Mary C. Peace accused Piroli of now claiming money that he disowned during the trial--an allegation denied by Piroli’s attorney.

Steele ordered Piroli to pay $3,000 to two local banks and the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles for copying documents he had requested for his defense.

Piroli has also sued the Archdiocese, saying it defamed him during the criminal investigation he faced.