The priest who preached sacrifice is now accused of blowing six figures of parish money on cruises, casinos, and his own comfort.
Story Snapshot
- A Kansas priest is charged with felony theft after an audit flagged about $160,000 in suspect spending.
- Court records say parish funds paid for luxury cruises, casino cash, travel, clothes, and even a dental bill.
- The priest has pleaded not guilty and is legally presumed innocent as the case proceeds.
- The story exposes how weak church financial controls can betray the trust of everyday believers.
How a Trusted Pastor Ended Up in a Felony Theft Case
Father Richard Storey did not fit the movie image of the shady priest in the shadows. He led the Curé of Ars Catholic Church in Leawood, Kansas, a well-regarded suburban parish where families wrote checks trusting every dollar would serve God, not gambling tables.
That is why the shock hit so hard when Leawood police arrested him on suspicion of stealing about $160,000 in parish funds, a felony-level amount under Kansas law.[3]
Former Leawood priest allegedly stole $160K from church for cruises, casino and clothes https://t.co/bZT0gq4dlQ
— The Kansas City Star (@KCStar) June 16, 2026
Police took him into custody on a Saturday morning and booked him into the Johnson County jail on a $25,000 bond.[3] The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas said it was fully cooperating with law enforcement and reminded parishioners of a core principle of American justice: that a person is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.[3]
Later that same day, he bonded out and went home, but his quiet life as a respected pastor was over, at least for now.
What Auditors Say the Church Credit Card Really Paid For
The real drama moved from the parish office to the accounting files. An audit of Curé of Ars finances from 2021 through 2025 flagged unauthorized transactions tied to Storey on a parish credit card account and another redacted source.[2]
According to a Johnson County court affidavit, the total suspected improper spending reached $159,326.92, a figure derived not from rumor but from a line-by-line review of bank and card records.[2]
The affidavit describes a lifestyle that does not sound like the modest life many Catholics expect from clergy. Records say the church credit card paid for one or more cruises totaling $77,025.[2]
During a July 2023 cruise, there was a single cash withdrawal of $23,904 that the statement coded as “casino cash withdrawal,” the kind of charge gamblers see near the slot machines, not near a soup kitchen.[2]
A second large withdrawal of $25,948, also tied to a cruise in early 2025, raised more red flags.[2]
The Gray Area Between Charity, Image, and Alleged Fraud
The spending did not stop at travel and casinos. The affidavit says parish funds also went toward international trips, retail purchases, and other personal expenses, including roughly $4,439 for a dental procedure that auditors say should have been paid from Storey’s own pocket.[2]
Court documents also say he used church funds to make multiple “donations” totaling $22,663 to church fundraising projects, thereby boosting reported donation totals.[2]
On paper, those “donations” make the parish and its pastor look more generous and successful. From this view, that kind of self-dealing crosses an ethical line, even before a judge rules on criminal guilt.
Donors think they are seeing real parishioner generosity, not money shuffled from one church account to another for image and influence. When church leaders inflate numbers that way, they cheapen the real sacrifices of people who skip dinners out to fill the collection basket.
Presumed Innocent, but Trust Is Already on Trial
Storey has pleaded not guilty to the felony theft charge and appeared in court with a group of supporters in attendance.[2][4] That plea is not a minor detail.
Under American law, he has the right to challenge the state’s evidence, question the audit, and present his own explanation for every cruise ticket and cash withdrawal. The judge and, if it comes to that, a jury must weigh the paper trail against any defense he brings forward.[2]
The Archdiocese has stressed that the legal process must run its course and that no final judgment should be made before the court acts.[3] That stance tracks with core conservative values: due process, fairness, and restraint before condemning a man.
At the same time, the parish’s decision to file an insurance claim to recover the missing funds shows they take the alleged losses seriously and are treating the situation as more than a simple bookkeeping mistake.[5]
What This Scandal Reveals About Church Money and Power
This is not the first time a church has learned the hard way that trust without verification is not a virtue in financial matters. Catholic financial experts warn that parish embezzlement happens at an “alarming” rate when one person controls check signing, credit cards, and record-keeping without strong checks and balances.[12]
Their advice sounds like standard business practice: require documentation for every expense, demand more than one signature on big checks, and order regular surprise audits.[12]
Father Richard Storey, former pastor at Curé of Ars Catholic Church in Leawood, Kansas.
He allegedly stole $159,326.92 in church funds (2021–2025) for cruises, trips to London/Paris/Dublin/NY, casino cash withdrawals, shopping, and personal expenses. He resigned in Sept 2025 and…
— Grok (@grok) June 21, 2026
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has even issued a financial management guide advising dioceses to report suspected fraud promptly and to build internal controls that make abuse harder to hide.[13] That is not anti-church talk; it is pro-accountability. From this perspective, this is basic stewardship.
The money in those baskets is not Monopoly cash. It is after-tax income from families who believe they are funding worship, schools, and charity, not vacations and casino markers for the man in the collar.
Sources:
[2] Web – Former Leawood, Kansas, priest arrested Saturday for theft of funds
[3] Web – Affidavit details alleged embezzlement by Leawood priest
[4] Web – A priest from Kansas turned himself in after being accused of …
[5] Web – Court documents say Father Richard Storey used more than …
[12] Web – Catholic Church sex abuse cases in the United States – Wikipedia
[13] Web – How to stop embezzlement in your parish – U.S. Catholic
