Priest pleads guilty to stealing $160K from Catholic church in Kansas

A Catholic priest in Kansas has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $100,000 from his former parish, and investigations into other allegations against him are expected to continue.

In a statement published Tuesday, the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas announced that one of its former priests, the Rev. Richard Storey, had pleaded guilty to theft of more than $100,000.

The plea follows his arrest earlier this year on charges that he stole nearly $160,000 from Cure of Ars Catholic Church in Leawood, Kansas, where he once served as pastor. As part of the plea agreement, Storey paid $159,362.92 in restitution to his former parish.

The archdiocese also outlined its next steps, including a review of its finances and an investigation into additional allegations against Storey, which involve “an adult victim.” It said it had retained “an independent outside firm in July to review its financial process” as part of “its commitment to responsible stewardship and appropriate due diligence.”

In addition, the archdiocese has opened a preliminary canonical investigation, an inquiry under the Catholic Church’s internal law, into both allegations against Storey. 

“The results of this investigation will be shared with the Archdiocesan Finance Council Audit Committee for their consideration," the statement reads. "They will then present their findings and assessment to the Promoter of Justice, who will recommend any further canonical action to Archbishop [Shawn] McKnight, at which point he will decide on subsequent measures.”

The archdiocese said McKnight will share the investigation's findings with the Cure of Ars Parish. It added that the archbishop “expresses his deep sadness at this news and asks the faithful to keep all those impacted by this matter in their prayers.”

Storey’s guilty plea comes five months after he surrendered to law enforcement on the theft charge. He resigned from his post at Cure of Ars in September 2025 amid a criminal investigation into an incident involving the priest and “another adult.” After his resignation, Storey was suspended from priestly ministry, which barred him from celebrating mass and performing pastoral duties.

The office of Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said in a statement Tuesday that Storey’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 11, 2027. Storey pleaded guilty to a severity level 7 nonperson, nondrug felony. Under Kansas law, that means the crime did not harm a person or involve drugs. 

The Kansas City Star reported that prosecutors are recommending probation. The plea agreement, as quoted by the Star, states, “As a condition of probation, Defendant will undergo substance abuse evaluation and follow all recommendations.”