Galway priest charged with embezzlement in Florida

A Galway-native priest has been charged with embezzling over $50,000 from an elderly woman in Florida.
Fr Nicholas King studied at St Mary’s College in the city, St Patrick’s College in Thurles and All Hallows College before moving to Florida in the 1960s.
He has been charged with embezzling the money from an elderly parishioner in Orlando.
73-year old Fr. Nicholas King is accused of using the money he allegedly embezzled from the woman to fund a lifestyle ‘beyond his means’.
He stood down from his parish in Orlando in September, just days before his arrest.
Fr King was a public supporter of controversial cleric Francis Guinan, who plundered church coffers to fund gambling trips and rare coin collections.
He’s now facing his own felony charges of fraud and theft.
He’s alleged to have taken $88,000 in total through dishonest means.
A spokesperson for the Rockledge Police Department in Florida says the priest had three homes – including a beach condominium, and lives ‘far above’ his annual salary of $28,000.
Following Fr King’s arrest, Orlando Bishop John Noonan said the diocese is co-operating with police and Fr King has been removed from ministry pending the outcome of the investigation.