Man Accused Of Posing As Priest Raises Questions About Leader Verification
STOCKTON (CBS13) - He claimed to be a man of God, but police say the man calling himself "Father" Erwin Mena is nothing more than a con man.
Mena is behind bars, accused of pretending to be a priest and allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from unsuspecting parishioners. There are reports some of the victims may also worship in Stockton.
The Stockton Diocese says they have no record that Mena was even in this community but they also say it doesn't mean that he wasn't."
On Tuesday, Los Angeles police arrested 59-year-old Erwin Mena for impersonating a priest and allegedly scamming parishioners at churches across the Southland. Police say he officiated masses, funerals, a wedding and confessions.
"Using the church to scam people, that's not right, totally not right," said a parishioner.
The biggest con? Allegedly collecting thousands from people for a chance to see the pope in America.
"We actually don't have a record of it," said Stockton Diocese spokesperson Sis. Terry Davis.
When they heard Mena had possibly preyed on their members they investigated but found nothing.
"And that is probably because the nature of what he has done is not official," said Davis.
She says Mena could have officiated under the diocese's radar as a phony for years, but not in any of their churches.
"In our church any priest coming from another diocese, another country, has to go through procedures," said Davis.
But how can parishioners tell a real priest from a fake one?
"He would have to present letters from his bishop – I.D. requirements that establish his name. All that would have to happen in order to operate officially," she said.
Davis says parishioners can still choose to trust a visiting priest, but should also verify.
"If another priest kind of shows up and starts being in the community, I would urge people to call the diocese and verify that this is a legitimate priest," said Davis.
The L.A. Archdiocese tells our sister station the Southern California Parish priest was supposed to check with the archdiocese about Mena's credentials, but never did.