Ohio priest wants $3.5M back in tax-fraud case

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — A Roman Catholic priest who pleaded guilty in Ohio to tax fraud must wait to be resentenced before learning if he can reclaim $3.5 million in restitution.

Federal Judge James Gwin in Akron has set sentencing for July 27 for 70-year-old Rev. Samuel Ciccolini.

The judge had ordered him to pay nearly $3.5 million in restitution to the fundraising arm of an alcohol and drug rehab center he founded. An appeals court overturned the restitution order and one-day sentence.

The judge says he won’t decide on returning the money until re-sentencing.

Father Ciccolini hasn’t been allowed to minister publicly during the appeals.

Prosecutors also asked for a new sentence. The Akron Beacon Journal says the government wants a sentence of up to two years.