Former Elk Co. priest under investigation in Erie Co.
A former Elk County priest under investigation for allegedly falsifying the results of a church raffle for a Stingray 1LT Corvette has yet to be charged with any crimes, but remains under investigation in Erie County.
However, the story regarding search warrants in the investigation into Ross Miceli, 42, has caught worldwide attention through online news and on automotive fan sites like Jalopnik and Road & Track, as well as on Casino.org and Yahoo! Autos.
Miceli was pastor at St Boniface in Kersey until 2022, when he was moved to Erie. He was pastoring at St. Jude the Apostle Parish when the allegations came to light.
An employee of the parish allegedly “raised concerns” about the raffle to Bishop Lawrence Persico, according to the warrants, leading the diocese to investigate the contest and eventually contact the county prosecutor’s office.
The Erie Times News reported that the Erie County District Attorney’s Office had been looking at Micelli for allegedly rigging the 2024 Corvette raffle and misspending possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars of church funds.
Miceli, who traveled extensively and had memberships at numerous casinos, was driving a Tesla, owned expensive computer equipment, owned expensive clothing and high-end shoes, some of which were on display at the rectory, and had valuable Disney collectibles, according to The Erie Times News, all things more costly than a priest should be able to afford.
Upon investigation, detectives learned that Miceli made up the name of the winner of the raffle, “Martin Anderson” of Detroit, Mich., and said he had picked $50,000 rather than the car.
Bishop Lawrence T. Persico of the Erie Diocese announced Miceli had been placed on administrative leave without assignment as “part of an ongoing internal review by the diocese and due to new information related to allegations involving St. Jude the Apostle Parish and Father Miceli. This action does not imply guilt but allows for a thorough and fair civil investigation to proceed, while also ensuring pastoral care and stability for the parish communities.”
