California Church Issues Warning Over Fake Priests

A Catholic diocese in California has raised concerns about reports it has received of two "imposters" using the identities of legitimate priests to pass themselves off as members of the clergy.

In a statement released on Friday, the Diocese of Stockton, which covers the Central Valley region of the state, said the two individuals—whose true identities have not been verified—have been charging "exorbitant fees" for sacraments, classes and certificates, as well as demanding "birth certificates for individuals participating in these sacraments, raising concerns about human trafficking and identity theft."

The Catholic institution said the two phony priests had been operating in the Modesto area under the names of two real priests in Mexico, Father José Adán González Estrada and Bishop Raúl Gómez González.

Describing them as "wolves in sheep's clothing," the diocese added that from the information it had been given, the individuals "resort to intimidation tactics against anyone questioning their identity" and often threaten legal action for defamation.

Erin Haight, a spokesperson for the diocese, told NBC News that the false clergymen were charging "thousands and thousands of dollars" and primarily preying on undocumented migrants and migrant workers. The Catholic church was alerted to the situation by parishioners, it said.

The diocese noted that the sacraments the individuals were offering are typically administered in a Catholic church, and advised congregants to be wary of practices that may seem out of place.

It said that it had alerted law enforcement in Modesto to the situation, and urged victims to contact the police immediately.

Sharon Bear, a Modesto police spokesperson, confirmed that the Diocese of Stockton had reached out about the imposters, but told Newsweek that an investigation had yet to be launched because, as of Tuesday morning, nobody had yet filed a complaint.

"If someone were to come forward, it could potentially lead to fraud charges and/or falsely impersonating another [person] charges," she said.

Bear told NBC on Monday that Modesto police had advised the diocese to notify other churches and "encourage people who have been harmed to contact us," but added: "There's not much more we can do at this point."

It is not the first time this year that the Diocese of Stockton has had to issue a warning about a fake priest; in March, it said that a former priest, Leo Suarez, who had belonged to the diocese before being "dismissed from the clerical state," had been found to be conducting masses and Quinceañeras—traditionally a girl's 15th birthday party—in private homes and halls.

Diocese records show Suarez was dismissed from the church in 2016 after facing two "credible" accusations of sexually abusing a minor, one instance, in 2009, he reported himself. According to CBS News, he was never charged with a crime as a victim never came forward.