Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
CT Priest Used Church Cash For NYC Pad, Male Escorts
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 6, 2010
Modified Jul 6, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 6, 2010
Modified Jul 6, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Roman Catholic Priest Rev. Kevin J. Gray was charged with first-degree larceny for stealing $1.3 million to pay for "hotels, restaurant meals, clothing and male escorts." Oh and also rent on a NYC apartment and the Harvard tuition for a man he met in Central Park. According to the Hartford Courant, the Waterbury priest told authorities he "'had grown to hate being a priest' because the Archdiocese had given him the 'worst church assignments' where he would 'have to fix problems made by the previous priests,' according to his arrest warrant."
The authorities starting looking into the matter when the Sacred Heart parish discovered money was missing. Gray claimed to the congregation that he had cancer and was placed on medical leave; no one at his rectory heard from him since mid-April. It turned out he was living on the Upper East Side, in a York Avenue apartment, with Weirui Zhong:
Gray told Zhong he was an attorney for Catholic Charities in New Haven and that he had attended Georgetown Law Schools. He also told Zhong he was being treated for colon cancer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
Gray would come to New York on Wednesdays after 8 a.m. mass. He told Zhong he had his cancer treatments on Wednesday, the affidavit states. He would then stay a few days, returning to Waterbury in time for Saturday's 4 p.m. mass.
Zhong told police in a sworn statement that Gray has also been paying his tuition at Harvard University since 2008. He said Gray gave him large sums of money when Gray felt he was going to die of cancer.
Zhong said he asked Gray several times why Gray was paying him with checks from the Sacred Heart Church bank account instead of Gray's personal account. Gray said he placed his life savings, including money he had earned from winning big cases as an attorney, into the church's account.
While police questioned Zhong on June 10, Gray arrived at the apartment. Zhong asked police if he could speak with Gray first. In the presence of the detectives, Zhong asked Gray if he was an attorney, if he had ever attended Georgetown, if he had colon cancer and if he had ever had cancer. To all four questions, Gray answered "No," the affidavit states.
Gray also said he was "gay and has a problem with the church's stance on homosexuality."
Gray allegedly wrote over $1.4 million in checks from a church account. His American Express charges since 2003 were over $655,000 (hotel stays at the Waldorf! shopping at Barneys! dinner at Tavern on the Green!); he also opened up credit cards in the names of two men, one he met at a strip bar, another he hired as a male escort. A police spokesman said, "I think that's how he explained his absence from the parish."
Tagged
apartment
connecticut
high life
Kevin gray
male escort
nyc
priest
Zhong Weirui
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NY Archdiocese will soon settle $800M clergy sexual abuse claims
The deal would compensate over 1,300 alleged victims and help the church avoid bankruptcy.
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Oct 24, 2026 at 6:31 p.m. ET
Chinatown residents file lawsuit against after-hours construction on new 'mega jail'
Residents cite sleep disruption and dust-induced illness from nearly ‘round the clock’ construction.
By
Arya Sundaram
News
Chinatown residents file lawsuit against after-hours construction on new 'mega jail'
Residents cite sleep disruption and dust-induced illness from nearly ‘round the clock’ construction.
By
Arya Sundaram
Peepapalooza: NYC is heading to the Hudson Valley to watch the leaves
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
Sean Carlson
NYPD: Officer shot, injured knife-wielding woman during ‘chaotic’ night at Queens home
By
Ryan Kost
3 slates vying to run Jersey City school board as city stares down major tax hikes
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .