
 |
Sacco is a well-connected Italian, and his arrest took on broader implications given the number of politicians linked to him. Even Pope Francis has been photographed with him. The Calabrian holding centre is one of Italy's largest, and "Mercy" is a major national organization that runs migrant centres and provides other volunteer services around the country.
Police said the Rev. Edoardo Scordio, a parish priest affiliated with "Mercy," was the "organizer of a true system of exploitation of public funds destined for the migrant emergency." The Arena clan skimmed some 36 million euros ($39.5 million) of the 103 million in public funds destined for migrant care at the centre between 2006-2015.
Scam money went to buy real estate, fancy cars and luxury boats.
|  Scordio in 2007 pocketed 132,000 euros for his spiritual services that he offered the refugees. |