A Grosse Pointe Park man who lives in a $700,000, six-bedroom home stole $240,000 from poor and homeless people and spent it on trips to Florida resorts, shopping sprees, Lululemon athletic wear and a new roof on his house, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday in federal court.
And he was careful not to get caught, an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit, which details how John R. Lynch, 56, of Grosse Pointe Park allegedly abused his position as chief financial officer and chief executive officer for the Holy Cross organization to help himself, his family and friends.
Holy Cross is a Clinton-based nonprofit that was founded in 1948 by the Archdiocese of Detroit as a vehicle to help needy people. It started out as Boysville of Michigan, and is now known as Holy Cross Services, whose entities include the Samaritan Center, Woodward Counseling, and Holy Cross Women’s Behavioral Health. The organization receives government funding and helps provide financial support, welfare and behavioral health care services to disadvantaged children and families across Michigan.