Two former St. Louis Catholic Church workers stole money from the parish, cops say
A former employee and contractor of a local Catholic Church have been accused of stealing money from a parish, according to the Archdiocese of Miami.
Nelson Tarke, 45, and Stefano Lambo, 45, were arrested Friday afternoon on grand theft and fraud charges. Their alleged scheme targeted St. Louis Catholic Church, located at 7270 SW 120th St. in Pinecrest.
In the spring of 2019, the church and St. Louis Covenant School officials realized that a significant portion of the two entities’ funds had been used inappropriately. The unauthorized spending had occurred during Tarke’s employment as campaign manager and development director, the Archdiocese of Miami said. Some of the money had been used on projects involving Lambo as contractor.
Church administrators contacted Miami-Dade police, who immediately began investigating. The church parted ways with Tarke and Lambo in May and August, respectively.
The Archdiocese of Miami did not specify how much was stolen.
Both of their bonds were set at $20,000, according to Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation. It’s unclear when the two will appear in court.
The Archdiocese of Miami said it will continue to cooperate with the investigation.
