Lotto-winning ex-priest faces two sex-crime charges

A man entrusted to serve others through the priesthood and a nonprofit is now facing a second sex-crime charge.

For the first time since his arrest on Friday, police have released new information about the charges against Joseph Faraone, a former priest who won more than $1 million in the lottery 30 years ago. He now faces a charge of first-degree sexual abuse, in addition to second-degree criminal sexual act, both felonies.

Faraone, 68, allegedly abused a 50-year-old female patient at a local nonprofit human service organization where he worked, according to state police and the Putnam County District Attorney's Office, who declined to release further details about the case, citing its sensitive nature.

Faraone is being held in the Putnam County jail on $50,000 bail.

According to the charges filed, officials are accusing Faraone of sodomizing someone incapable of consent due to a mental disability or incapacity.

Faraone was last the associate pastor at Church of St. Denis in Hopewell Junction between 2004 and 2006 and has since left the priesthood. Before that, he spent 12 years at St. James the Apostle Church in Carmel, 11 years at St. Patrick's Church in Yorktown and nine years at St. Francis of Assisi in Mount Kisco.

In 1985, while a priest at St. Patrick's, Faraone gained publicity after winning $1.17 million in the New York Lotto. He told reporters then he had started buying twice-weekly lottery tickets two years earlier when the parish was struggling to pay for its new, $2 million church. At the time, he pledged to use half his winnings to pay for the church and the other half to go to family, friends and other charities.

It was unclear whether Faraone had retained a lawyer. He is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.

Staff writer Matt Spillane contributed to this report.