( CNN ) -- To his congregants , he lived the humble existence of a pastor . But a high-flying Connecticut priest was charged this week with first-degree larceny in the theft of almost $ 1.3 million from his church 's coffers to fund a lavish double life that included swanky hotels and male escorts , said Capt . Chris Corbett of the Waterbury Police Department in Connecticut . Father Kevin Gray , 64 , a former pastor at Sacred Heart Church in Waterbury , allegedly embezzled money from the church over the course of seven years . He used it to pay for fancy restaurants , clothing , vacations , hotels , a New York City apartment and a male companion 's tuition at Harvard University , according to an affidavit obtained by CNN affiliate WTIC and filed with the Connecticut Superior Court . The affidavit says that between June 2003 and March 2010 , Gray spent about $ 205,000 at high-end restaurants , $ 132,000 in hotel stays and $ 85,000 at clothing stores . While in New York City , he frequented the Waldorf Astoria , Omni Berkshire , and the W Hotel Times Square , among other posh hotels , the affidavit states . He also allegedly shopped at high-end retailers including Barneys , Armani and Saks Fifth Avenue . Along with expensive taste , Gray allegedly kept company with a number of male escorts , and allowed some to have credit cards in their name on his account . One escort , Islagar Labrada , allegedly charged more than $ 49,000 to the account . `` Some items Mr. Labrada charged included a stay at the Sheraton in Buena Vista , Florida , storage facilities , computers , computer software , cell phones , anti-aging creams , artwork , Louis Vuitton stores , a home alarm system and bicycles , '' the affidavit reads . `` Mr Labrada also charged $ 8,864.69 to Crunch Fitness Gym for membership fees . '' Another man , Weirui Zhong , who told police he met Gray in Central Park in 2005 , said Gray paid for his rented apartment in New York , a piano , dogs and Harvard University tuition since 2008 , according to the affidavit . Zhong told authorities that when he pressed Gray about why he was always paying him with checks from Sacred Heart Church , Gray told him that he won big cases as an attorney , and that he put all his live savings into the church account . He also lied to Zhong and his parishioners that he was suffering from cancer , the affidavit says . `` Gray became very bitter with the church starting in 2001 when he was transferred to a parish in New Hartford while his mother was dying in New Haven , '' according to the affidavit . `` Mr. Gray stated that when he started in 2003 , he began taking the money because he felt the Church owed it to him . '' His official salary over those seven years totaled just over $ 184,000 , or almost $ 27,000 a year . According to the affidavit , Gray scammed an additional $ 221,000 in 2005 by signing an agreement with Wireless Capital Partners , a communications company based in Los Angeles , California , to allow a wireless antenna to be placed in the church , though doing so was strictly prohibited . Gray 's scheme came to light after a routine audit of the church 's finances by the Archdiocese of Hartford found numerous accounting discrepancies . `` At the financial level , the Archdiocese continues to work with the parish to improve its financial controls and to address issues arising from the situation such as insurance coverage and outstanding indebtedness , '' the Archdiocese said in a statement . `` At the spiritual level , we continue to pray for healing and consolation for the parish family as it moves forward , and for guidance and reconciliation for Father Gray . ''
Connecticut priest charged in stealing almost $ 1.3 million from church . Father Kevin Murphy allegedly lived a lavish double life . It included swanky hotels and male prostitutes , he said . It occurred between June 2003 and March 2010 .