A Kansas priest who preached sacrifice from the pulpit allegedly charged $77,000 worth of cruise vacations to his parish credit card — and that was just the beginning.
Story Snapshot
- Father Richard Storey, former pastor at Curé of Ars Catholic Church in Leawood, Kansas, faces a felony theft charge after a church audit uncovered $159,326.92 in suspected unauthorized spending.
- Court documents allege Storey used the parish credit card to fund cruises, international travel, retail purchases, and casino cash withdrawals between 2021 and 2025.
- Storey pleaded not guilty on June 2 and is out on $25,000 bond, wearing a GPS monitor and barred from holding his passport.
- The theft charge comes on top of a separate, still-ongoing criminal investigation tied to Storey’s September 2025 resignation from the parish.
What the Audit Found Hidden in Plain Sight
A financial audit covering 2021 through 2025 at Curé of Ars Catholic Church flagged unauthorized transactions on a parish credit card account.
The total came to $159,326.92. That is not a rounding error. That is four years of steady, alleged draining of funds that parishioners dropped into collection baskets every Sunday, trusting the money would serve the church. [2]
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
The audit did not just find vague overages. It found specifics. Court documents allege Storey charged one or more cruises totaling $77,025 to the church card. During a July 2023 cruise, a cash withdrawal of $23,904 appeared on the statement coded as “casino cash withdrawl.”
A second withdrawal of $25,948 in February 2025 was also tied to a cruise. [2] These are not accidental charges. Someone typed in an amount and hit confirm.
The Scheme That Hid Inside the Donation Line
The alleged fraud did not stop at vacation spending. Court documents say Storey used the parish credit card to make “donations” totaling $22,663 back to church fundraising efforts. [2]
On the surface, that looks generous. In reality, the affidavit says those donations were unauthorized and served to inflate donation totals — making the books look healthier while masking where the money actually went. He also allegedly used church funds on a credit card to pay $4,439 for a personal dental procedure.
Storey also allegedly made $10,526 in unauthorized donations to the church that fraudulently inflated reported giving. [2] Think about that structure for a moment. Steal from the parish, then “donate” back a portion to make the numbers look right. It is a loop designed to delay discovery. And it worked — for four years.
Two Investigations, One Priest, and a Rushed Resignation
Storey resigned from Curé of Ars in September 2025 — not because of the money, but because of a separate criminal investigation by Prairie Village police involving another adult. [1]
That investigation is still ongoing. The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas suspended him from all priestly duties and launched its own internal review. Then, months later, the financial audit landed. The Leawood Police Department arrested him on a felony theft charge in May 2026.
Storey pleaded not guilty and is out on bond. He must wear a GPS monitoring device and has surrendered his passport. [2] His next court date is July 15. The parish plans to file an insurance claim to recover the lost funds. [5]
Archbishop Shawn McKnight said the allegations are serious and that Storey is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. That is the right legal standard — but the court documents are detailed, specific, and damning on their face.
Why This Keeps Happening in Catholic Parishes
This case is not a one-off. Researchers and church finance experts say embezzlement happens at an alarming rate in Catholic parishes across the country. The reason is structural. In two-thirds of parishes surveyed, only one person held check-signing authority — no matter the amount. [12]
When a single person can initiate spending, approve it, and obscure it, the system practically invites abuse. Most priests are honest. But weak controls protect no one when the rare bad actor shows up.
The fix is not complicated. Require two signatures on large checks. Demand receipts for every transaction. Run random audits. Encourage electronic giving to keep cash handling to a minimum. [12] These are basic controls that any responsible organization uses.
Churches that skip them are not just being trusting — they are being negligent with money that belongs to the faithful. The Curé of Ars congregation deserved better oversight. So did every family that gave to that parish over four years.
Sources:
[1] Web – He portrayed himself as holier-than-thou but priest allegedly stole …
[2] Web – Former Leawood, Kansas, priest arrested Saturday for theft of funds
[5] Web – Court documents say Father Richard Storey used more than …
[12] Web – Catholic Church sex abuse cases in the United States – Wikipedia
