Former attorney sentenced for church embezzlement

Grosse Pointe Woods — A disbarred attorney was ordered to repay $90,600 he embezzled from a Catholic church and sentenced to five years probation this morning in Wayne County's Third Circuit Court.

Frederick Petz, 59, pleaded guilty last month to four counts of embezzlement from Our Lady Star of the Sea. The pastor discovered discrepancies in church accounts and notified the Archdiocese. An audit was conducted, and the missing money was traced back to Petz.

The state's Attorney Discipline Board suspended for 30 months Petz' license in November of 2000 for misappropriating client funds. Three years later, his license was revoked following a separate investigation that showed Petz misappropriated funds from a real estate sale. He was ordered to repay more than $52,000 in that case.

He had been working as a volunteer bookkeeper for the church.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100125/METRO01/1250401/1361/Former-attorney-sentenced-for-church-embezzlement