Appleton, WI — Mary Pepin, 67, was convicted on Thursday of bail jumping in connection with an attempted theft at St. Pius X Church in Appleton. She was sentenced to three years of probation. The attempted theft charge for the February 2023 incident was dismissed, and Pepin was ordered to have no contact with the church.
Pepin, who was out on bond for a previous burglary case in De Pere, did not address the theft allegations directly in court but stated she was seeking counseling to move forward and resolve her issues.
According to the criminal complaint, a witness at St. Pius X Church observed Pepin trying to retrieve money from a locked donation box using a slim wood stick. The witness reported that when Pepin noticed her, she quickly left the church, without successfully obtaining any money.
Pepin told police that she was simply trying to put out some ash that had fallen into the donation box after lighting a candle.
In addition to the conviction in Appleton, Pepin faces other church-related charges in Brown County. She is scheduled for trial on January 28, 2024, for a Christmas Day 2022 burglary at a De Pere church, and also faces charges related to a trespassing incident at St. Philip the Apostle Church in Green Bay in November 2022.