Stealing from the Church

Four who bought food for Catholic churches accused of stealing $2 million
: AP

A top purchasing agent for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York was indicted along with his wife and two others on federal charges of pocketing $2 million while buying food products from lettuce to pancakes.

The indictment said the four marked up prices by as much as 138 percent on the items for more than 1,000 churches, schools and other institutions, and also required numerous vendors to pay money, supposedly as commissions, on their orders.

Vincent J. Heintz was general manager of Institutional Commodity Service from 1992 until March 2004, overseeing all aspects of the central purchasing service's day-to-day operation, said the indictment, handed up Thursday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

Also named as defendants were Heintz's wife, Nanette B. Melera, the food service director, and Joseph J. DeRusso and Michael J. O'Shaughnessy, who were consultants and representatives to the service.