Fugitive former priest, accused of stealing $200,000, presumed dead

Court documents suggest Vargas lied about having cancer and asked parishioners to donate money for medical costs.

Four months after his reported death, federal authorities say they are close to closing their case against a priest who died a fugitive in Mexico, fleeing an indictment of federal wire fraud in an alleged theft from his parishioners.

The case is unique because the Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi had itself faced criminal charges over the alleged fraud of…