CALIFORNIA – An Irvine woman who defrauded a group of Roman Catholic nuns out of $285,000 was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to three years and a month in prison, according to prosecutors
Linda Rose Gagnon, 59, promised to use the money to purchase a retirement home. But she used the money instead for personal expenses and to fund unprofitable operations of her real estate finance company, officials said.
Gagnon spent the $285,000 in only 64 days, say authorities.
She used it to travel and to buy lingerie, groceries, manicures, hair dressing, restaurants. She made lease payments for an Audi TT sports car and paid for valet pet-sitting services for her dog, officials said.
In November, Gagnon was found guilty of three counts of wire fraud for defrauding the U.S. Province of Religious of Jesus & Mary, an order of nuns devoted to educational and charitable work, officials said.