Profile Facts
- Name
- Max Vernon Joseph Frego
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saginaw
- Ordained
- 1962
- Status
- Accused
- Died
- 1/29/2010
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
In November 2024, the Diocese of Saginaw added Father Max Vernon Joseph Frego to its list of credibly accused priests. The listing followed a 2024 report from a man who said that, at about age 15 in 1972, Frego molested him during an overnight stay in Rosebush, Michigan, plying him and his brother with alcohol before assaulting him as he slept. Our clergy sexual abuse lawyers prepared this page to document the sourced record on Frego, who was ordained in 1962 and died in 2010.
Frego died on January 29, 2010, so criminal prosecution is no longer possible. Below we describe what was reported, including to a nun, decades ago, and what civil remedies Michigan law may still offer.
Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Saginaw
Saginaw’s diocese is one of seven in Michigan, alongside the Archdiocese of Detroit and the dioceses of Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Marquette. In 2018 the Michigan Attorney General began investigating clergy sexual abuse statewide; the resulting June 2026 report on Saginaw included Frego among the accused. White Law PLLC acts as a Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer for survivors in Saginaw and beyond.
The Frego account includes a report to a nun in the 1980s or 1990s that went nowhere, a familiar story. Survivors from the Saginaw diocese who were once told nothing could be done should know that civil courts may see things differently.
The Allegations Against Father Max Vernon Joseph Frego
Where He Served
Published records indicate that Frego was ordained in 1962 for the Diocese of Grand Rapids and became a priest of the Diocese of Saginaw in 1971, when Michigan’s diocesan boundaries were redrawn. He retired in 1994 and died on January 29, 2010.
What Survivors Reported
According to the Michigan Attorney General’s June 2026 report on the Diocese of Saginaw, a man reported in 2024 that when he was about 15 in 1972, Frego molested him during an overnight in Rosebush, Michigan. Frego had invited the boy and his brother for the weekend, gave them alcohol, and during the night put his hands down the boy’s pants; the boy said he slapped Frego away and told his parents when they got home. The man said he later told a nun in the Grand Rapids diocese in the 1980s or 1990s, and that the nun said there was nothing she could do. The Diocese of Saginaw named Frego as credibly accused on its list in November 2024. Frego died in 2010, so he is no longer alive for anyone to pursue criminal charges against him, but civil claims against his estate or the diocese may remain.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
A criminal prosecution seeks to punish the offender, with prison time possible. A civil lawsuit seeks to compensate the survivor with money damages. The two are independent, civil justice does not wait on criminal justice.
Frego died in 2010, so he is no longer alive for anyone to pursue criminal charges against him. A civil action against his estate or the Diocese of Saginaw may still be available.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Under Michigan Legislature §600.5805, civil sexual abuse claims must generally be filed within ten years of the abuse or before the survivor turns 28, whichever comes later. Michigan sets no time limit for first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Being told as a child that “nothing can be done” keeps many survivors silent for decades. The civil courts apply their own standards, let a lawyer measure your claim against them.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
Claims can target the abuser’s estate and the diocese alike, especially where church personnel received reports and failed to act, supervise, or warn families. Survivors may recover damages for medical and therapy costs, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
To discuss your case confidentially, call White Law PLLC at (517) 316-1195 or come by . Consultations are free, and we charge no fee unless we win.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.