NJ Priest In Sex Lawsuit Found Dead In Home In Brick

BRICK, NJ — A priest who was accused in 2015 of using $1 million in Bronx church collection money to fund drugs and prostitutes was found dead in his home in Brick, according to NJ.com.

Father Peter Miqueli resigned from his Bronx church in late 2015, but continued to live in Brick.

In 2015, Cardinal Timothy Dolan and the Archdiocese of New York filed a lawsuit in Supreme Court of New York on behalf of a group of Bronx parishioners, accusing Miqueli stealing the funds to buy the Ocean County house and to pay prostitutes for sexual bondage sessions.

NJ.com wrote on Saturday said that police had found Miqueli, 57, dead in his single-story home in the township on Thursday, according to the priest's brother.

The priest's brother told NJ.com that police notified him of the death but hadn't yet given him more information. A spokesperson for the Brick Township police told NJ.com that Miqueli was found dead but they would not comment further, saying it's a "county medical examiner's case."

No criminal charges were filed in connection with the suit. The New York Post couldn't find evidence of further court filings. But they wrote on Friday that Bronx prosecutors found evidence in 2017 that Miqueli took $22,450.

For prior Patch coverage, click here.

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