Priest pleads not guilty to new charges
By: Maria Miller
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. " A suspended Somerset County priest accused of molesting young boys on mission trips overseas was back in federal court Wednesday morning facing new charges.
Father Joseph Maurizio pleaded not guilty in federal court in Johnstown to a new set of federal charges filed last week, and as usual, he did so in front of a large group of supporters.
Maurizio was dressed in normal clothing and looked thin as he was led into the courtroom, trying to hide from the cameras.
"He's lost a lot of weight," said Maurizio's defense attorney Steven Passarello. "He's doing as best as anybody can that's sitting in a jail awaiting trial."
The suspended Central City priest was handed a new federal indictment last week that lists allegations of abuse against two new victims and three charges of international laundering, with prosecutors suggesting that he used money from one of his organizations to travel overseas and promote unlawful activity.
But Passarello contends that it's the same case that feds already investigated, and dropped, years ago.
"This case is the same case [the] exactly same case that was back in 2009 when the FBI had the case and closed the case in 2010 with no charges being filed," Passarello said. "The U.S. has come into court in a number of these hearings and indicated they can prove this and show this, and none of it is new."
Passarello said he has his own team of investigators in Honduras digging for clues. He said they've talked with the alleged victims, and so far, all the evidence they've collected only further proves Maurizio's innocence. He said someone is trying again to retaliate against his client.
"Someone has the desire to get rid of Father Joe, get rid of his control in the orphanage in Honduras so that they can take over and control the money and the building and the property," Passarello said. "That defense has not changed, and that investigation we've conducted in Honduras has only made that defense stronger."
Maurizio smiled and waved to friends and family who packed the courtroom Wednesday, but his attorney told 6 News that he's been struggling in jail and isn't receiving the best treatment from other inmates because of the accusations against him.
"[I've] got to get this guy out of jail," Passarello said.
Maurizio will stay in the Cambria County Jail until his trial begins in September.
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