By Bob Allen
An American Baptist pastor in Connecticut has been charged with stealing more than $173,000 from an elderly parishioner.
Robert Genevicz, pastor of Stratford Baptist Church the last 16 years, was arrested March 18 and charged with first-degree larceny, according to the Connecticut Post. Genevicz turned himself in to police and was released on $50,000 bond.
Police say Genevicz, 67, known to his flock as “Pastor Bob,” stole from a 71-year-old retired school teacher and gave money to a female accomplice with a long criminal record.
The retired teacher, a Stratford Baptist Church member who resides in an assisted-living facility, let Genevicz take control of her finances in 2009, giving him power of attorney and conservatorship of her estate. Police investigated after a probate judge began to have questions about how the woman’s money was being spent.
Authorities say Genevicz is under investigation for allegedly robbing other senior citizens out of their life savings and using the money to buy a Mercedes and a Hummer.
According to the church website, Genevicz is moderator of the Fairfield Association of American Baptist Churches and serves on the board of managers of American Baptist Churches of Connecticut.