Msgr. Nunzio Scarano, the suspended Vatican accountant who now faces money-laundering charges, was once associated with a prayer group with suspected Mafia ties, the Catholic News Agency reports.

Msgr. Scarano was a member of “The Flock,” a group that was eventually denounced by the Archbishop of Salerno as a “sect.” After that denunciation, Msgr. Scarano left the group, and signed a pledge of obedience to the archdiocese. But while he was a member, he was reportedly entrusted with the management of economic affairs for The Flock, which held substantial real-estate assets.

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