A former Catholic priest from Kansas has found himself in hot water due to his alleged secret gambling habit. While placing a wager or two would have only tarnished his reputation with the Christian community a bit, he went a step further and allegedly embezzled parish money to fuel his habit, earning him criminal charges.
Storey Spent the Money on Expensive Cruises & Gaming, Reports Say
Richard Storey, a Catholic priest from Kansas, has been charged with the theft of some $160,000 from his parish. According to prosecutors, the man stole the money over a period of four years and spent some of it on gambling.
Storey, who is a former Cure of Ars Catholic Church priest, was put under house arrest earlier this year due to alleged theft of property. New court documents revealed more about his alleged scheme, saying that he made multiple transfers from his parish’s banking accounts to a personal account.
Investigators followed the money trail and learned that he was using it to fuel a luxurious lifestyle. His expenses included cruise vacations, during one of which he withdrew some $24,000 to gamble at the onboard casino. His trips took him to New York and various cities in Europe, where he didn’t have official church business.
The Church Asked for Patience Until the Matter Is Resolved
Storey’s alleged actions have deeply affected the local Catholic community, Archbishop Shawn McKnight said. He regretted to hear that Storey has been accused of embezzling the money donated by the faithful and called the allegations “very serious” in nature.
However, McKnight emphasized that people should keep in mind that Storey is innocent unless proven guilty. He asked the Christian community to remain patient until the matter has been resolved.
In the meantime, Storey has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Not the First Time Someone Has Stolen Money to Gamble
Unfortunately, there have been many cases of people stealing from their employers to gamble. One of the most recent such cases involved a Minnesota woman believed to have stolen over $1.2 million from her employer. The prosecutors believe that she used a significant part of this money to fuel her gambling habit.
In a separate case, employees of Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel in downtown Las Vegas face charges of stealing from their employer.