An imposter priest who fooled people into accessing churches and rectories in Brooklyn and beyond has been caught. Police in Riverside, California, arrested the man, saying he’s been victimizing churches across the country.
While he claimed to be ‘Father Martin’ at those parishes, police have identified him as 45-year-old Malin Rostas, a New York resident.
His modus operandi was to pose as ‘Father Martin’ at various parishes. This ruse allowed him to enter the American Martyrs rectory in Bayside last March, where he allegedly made off with $900.
Rostas was caught last Wednesday when police said they recognized the vehicle connected to the robberies. They said, before his arrest, he had just tried to steal from another local church.