Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello, pastor of the Our Woman of Mount Carmel Church in Williamsburg, has been faraway from key duties after an investigation discovered he spent the church’s cash on himself and doled out almost $2 million in unauthorized loans to entities owned by Frank Carone, an influential advisor to Mayor Adams, the Diocese of Brooklyn stated Monday.
The investigation, which was initiated after Gigantiello allowed pop star Sabrina Carpenter to movie a music video on the church, discovered that loans totaling $1.9 million went to Carone’s legislation agency in addition to two different firms affiliated with the previous Adams chief of workers.
“I have also relieved Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello, the current pastor, of any pastoral oversight or governance role at the Parish because he has mishandled substantial church funds and interfered with the administration of the Parish after being directed not to do so,” Bishop Robert Brennan stated in an announcement.
Federal authorities subpoenaed the church in September over potential dealings with Carone, who couldn’t be reached instantly Monday for remark. Nobody has been charged in reference to that probe.
An inside investigation discovered that Gigantiello issued a million-dollar mortgage to Carone’s legislation agency, Abrams Fensterman LLP in January 2019 with out the required approval or notification to the Diocese. It was repaid with 9% curiosity between June 2020 and June 2021, based on the discharge.
In August 2021 and November 2021, Gigantiello dug into the Parish coffers to make two extra loans totaling $900,000 to 2 firms additionally affiliated with Carone: Cesco LLC and Lex Ave 660 Companions LLC. These transfers have been additionally made with out approval and with out notifying the Diocese.
Gigantiello additionally used the church bank card for substantial private bills, the discharge stated.
Gigantiello has served as lead pastor since 2017.
The inner evaluate, performed by agency Alvarez & Marsal and Sullivan & Cromwell, got here after the pastor allowed singer Sabrina Carpenter to movie a music video contained in the church.
Carone, Adams’ first chief of workers, is now working a lobbying agency and is anticipated to chair the mayor’s 2025 reelection marketing campaign.
(L-R) Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello, Mayor Eric Adams and Frank Carone. (Fb)
Neither Carone nor Gigantiello — who’re longtime buddies — have been accused of any wrongdoing by the Brooklyn U.S. Legal professional’s workplace.
Carone and Gigantiello are companions in a company entity known as DMC Capital Group. Gigantiello holds a 7.5% stake and Carone’s household belief, which he controls, holds a 24.67% stake, enterprise information present.
DMC Capital Group is an investor in and co-founded one other company entity known as Monetary Imaginative and prescient Group IV, information present. Monetary Imaginative and prescient was sued by GEICO in Brooklyn Federal Court docket final 12 months in a civil go well with alleging Monetary Imaginative and prescient helped fund a scheme the place docs billed the insurance coverage firm for $3.5 million in no-fault medical procedures that both didn’t occur or weren’t mandatory.
Bishop Witold Mroziewski, is now administrator of the Parish, based on the discharge.
The Parish’s short-term administrator, Deacon Dean Dobbins has additionally been relieved of duties after utilizing “racist and other offensive language during private conversations” that have been secretly recorded by Gigantiello, based on Brennan.
Initially Printed: November 18, 2024 at 4:23 PM EST
