ORLANDO, Fla. — The announcements at an Orlando church brought a real shock for a member of the congregation.
It was in that moment that she found out her husband had married another woman.
Patrick Celicourt is now facing criminal charges.
His wife of 22 years said she found out during church service that her husband had married another woman, but his deception didn’t end there.
An affidavit, written by Ruth Celicourt about her mom and dad, details how her father tried selling their house without telling the family.
That was after he married his new wife. The new couple applied for a marriage license on March 9. It’s not clear when and where they wed, but Patrick Calicourt’s first wife claims she found out in church.
While bigamy occasionally happens, prosecution for the crime does not, a family lawyer told Channel 9.
“I have had cases in which they’re in a marriage and then they go ahead and get married again,” said Carlos Martin, of the Sanchez Law Group.
Martin, a family law attorney, checked central Florida counties for cases dating back to 2000.
“Only 14 defendants have been prosecuted for bigamy and only one has been sentenced to any time, which was nine months,” he said.
Patrick Celicourt is also charged with falsifying official statements, and that may be over his attempt to sell the family home.
“Since he's trying to get rid of marital possessions, that may be a reason why the prosecutor decided to go ahead and press charges,” Martin said.
While the suspect fights the bigamy charges, he and his first wife are in the process of getting divorced, and the marriage he celebrated in April is now void.
“In the eyes of the law, they are not married. He’s still married to the first person,” Martin said.
Patrick Celicourt would not speak to Channel 9 about his charges. Other church members said his new wife attended the same church.
WFTV
