Oct. 23, 2023, 12:22 PM PDT
By Corky Siemaszko
But when the diocese reached out to law enforcement, Haight said, it was told that only the people who were victimized by the imposters could file complaints and initiate investigations.
"The problem is these knuckleheads are preying on undocumented immigrants, migrant workers, people who might be afraid to go to law enforcement," Haight said. "So we decided to get the word out so more people aren't victimized."
Sharon Bear, a Modesto police spokesperson, confirmed that the Diocese of Stockton has been in touch with the department about the phony priests but that no active investigation is underway because, so far, nobody has filed a complaint.
"We advised them to notify the other churches in the area and encourage people who have been harmed to contact us," Bear said. "There's not much more we can do at this point."
In the news release, the diocese warned: "The imposters in Modesto have been using the names of legitimate priests in Mexico. Two confirmed identities being exploited are Father José Adán González Estrada and Bishop Raúl Gómez González."
Haight said, "These are real priests, but they're in Mexico, not here." She added that the diocese has been in touch with the Archdiocese of Toluca in Mexico and warned it about the scam.
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