Wisconsin Woman Embezzles Over $800K From Local Catholic Church

A woman in western Wisconsin has admitted to embezzling more than $800,000 from a Catholic church.

Barbara Snyder of West Salem pleaded guilty to wire fraud and filing a false income tax return Friday.

Snyder embezzled $832,210 from St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Onalaska while serving as the church’s secretary.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Snyder took the money from church collections and created false accounting records. She used the embezzled money for gambling.

Snyder could face up to 23 years in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 9.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Diocese of La Crosse said the diocese plans to review current policies for handling church finances.