Former Johnson County priest accused of stealing $160K from parish
The former priest of a Catholic church in Johnson County was arrested Saturday on suspicion of theft, an allegation that comes after church leaders say he may have stolen $160,000 from the parish.
Richard Storey, who once was pastor at Curé of Ars Catholic Church in Leawood, turned himself in to police Saturday on a felony theft charge, according to church leaders at the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
Storey was already being investigated on other allegations before the alleged theft came to light.
Storey resigned from his position at the church in September, after the Prairie Village Police Department began investigating allegations against him involving another adult. Few details about the allegation and investigation have been made public, other than the alleged offense taking place between March and November 2022, according to a police incident report obtained by The Star.
The archdiocese said in a statement that it reviewed financial and administrative records after Storey resigned as part of standard protocol when leadership changes at a parish.
During the review, leaders discovered information that “warranted referral to law enforcement.” The archdiocese notified the Leawood Police Department, who arrested Storey on Saturday morning. Around $160,000 may have been stolen from the church, the archdiocese said.
Online booking logs show Storey was booked into the Johnson County Detention Center just before 8:30 a.m. Saturday on suspicion of theft over $100,000. He was released three hours later after posting bond.
Archbishop addresses alleged theft
The archdiocese released a statement Saturday from Archbishop Shawn McKnight, who said his primary concern is for the people of Curé of Ars parish and all those directly affected by the alleged crime.
“This news is deeply painful for all of us in the Catholic community, particularly given the nature of the allegations involving resources entrusted to the Church through the sacrifice and generosity of the faithful,” McKnight said.
“These allegations are serious, the legal processes must be allowed to proceed, and Father Storey is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law or internal canonical process,” he said.
“I recognize there will be differing emotions and perspectives within the community in the days ahead, and I ask parishioners to treat one another with greater sensitivity, patience, charity, and respect as we move through this together, trusting that with faith in Christ, our community can emerge stronger and more united.”
The archdiocese said it is cooperating with law enforcement during the investigation and is filing an insurance claim in hopes of making up the financial loss.
A court appearance for Storey is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. May 26. No official charges have been filed in connection with the alleged theft as of Saturday afternoon.
The Prairie Village police investigation into allegations against Storey remains ongoing.
Previous reporting by The Star’s Judy L. Thomas contributed.
