Former Johnson County Priest Pleads Guilty to Theft of $159,326.92 from Leawood, Kansas, Church

The former pastor of Curé of Ars Catholic Church in Leawood, Rev. Richard Storey, has pleaded guilty to theft involving church funds. The plea agreement, dated October 27, states that Storey admitted to unauthorized transactions totaling $159,326.92 between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2025. The funds were to be deposited into a certified check made out to the church, but were instead delivered to the District Attorney’s office and legal counsel for the Diocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

Storey’s sentencing is set for January 11, and the state has amended the charge to theft severity level 7, a non-person, non-drug felony. The plea agreement recommends probation as part of the sentence, with conditions including a substance abuse evaluation and adherence to all recommendations. The original charge was felony theft of more than $100,000.

The theft was uncovered during an audit of the church’s finances conducted by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. The audit, covering the years 2021 through 2025, revealed unauthorized transactions on a parish credit card account and from another source whose identity was redacted. The total suspected unauthorized spending by Storey was $159,326.92.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Storey used the church credit card to pay for one or more cruises totaling $77,025. A significant cash withdrawal of $23,904 was recorded on a credit card statement as “casino cash withdraw” during a July 2023 cruise. Another withdrawal of $25,948 in February 2025 was also linked to a cruise. The affidavit noted that these expenses were personal and not related to church activities.

The audit also identified travel expenses of $27,079 to destinations such as London, Paris, Dublin, and New York, which were paid for using the church credit card. These trips were described as personal in nature. The church’s financial records were reviewed by Leawood police after a report of possible embezzlement was filed on January 23, 2026.

Storey resigned as pastor of Curé of Ars Catholic Church in September 2025 amid an investigation into a separate issue. The Diocese of Kansas City in Kansas has been involved in the handling of the funds, with the church’s legal counsel overseeing the deposit of the recovered amounts. The case highlights the importance of accountability and transparency in the management of church resources.

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