Richard Storey

Introduction

Father Richard Storey is the former pastor of Curé of Ars Catholic Church in Leawood, Kansas, who was charged with felony theft after investigators accused him of taking roughly $160,000 from the parish he led . Storey, 56, resigned the pastorate in September 2025 amid a separate criminal investigation, and a standard financial review that followed his resignation uncovered the alleged theft, leading to his surrender to police on May 23, 2026 . A court affidavit later detailed more than $159,000 in confirmed unauthorized spending — on cruises, casino cash and international travel — with investigators warning the true total could be far higher .

Background Information

Storey led Curé of Ars, a large Catholic parish just outside Kansas City, Kansas, until September 2025. That month, the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas was notified by the Prairie Village Police Department of a separate criminal investigation involving Storey and another adult; a police report shows that investigation was opened after a report filed September 4, 2025, concerning alleged conduct between March 2022 and November 10, 2022 . After being notified, Storey advised archdiocese leaders of his decision to resign as pastor, and church leaders temporarily suspended him from all public ministry, including celebrating Mass and performing other pastoral duties .

The theft case emerged from the internal financial review the archdiocese conducted after his resignation — standard protocol when pastoral leadership changes at a parish. Officials said the review discovered information that warranted referral to law enforcement, and the archdiocese shared its findings with the Leawood Police Department, which has jurisdiction over the parish office .

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

On Saturday, May 23, 2026, Storey voluntarily surrendered to the Leawood Police Department on a level 5 felony charge involving theft of funds valued at approximately $160,000, according to a statement from the archdiocese . He was booked the same day and was subsequently released on a $25,000 bond, later appearing for a first court appearance in Johnson County where his attorney asked for — and received — permission to access computers and the internet as a bond condition . A Johnson County judge has since placed him on house arrest with GPS monitoring .

An affidavit filed by the Leawood Police Department and released in June 2026 detailed more than $159,000 in confirmed unauthorized spending from the parish between 2021 and 2025, and flagged a separate church account showing nearly $590,000 in spending over the same period that cannot be verified as legitimate because of a lack of documentation . Investigators broke the unauthorized spending into categories including cruises, casino cash and international travel, and said subpoenaed bank records confirmed approximately 21 payments totaling more than $25,000 made from the church account directly to Storey’s personal Citibank credit card . Court records show the red flags predated his resignation: an internal audit in October 2022 had already identified concerns about spending and financial oversight at the parish, and the archdiocese at that time directed Storey to implement a “Governing Committee” and update financial procedures — instructions investigators say were never properly followed, and the unauthorized spending continued . The charges are accusations, and Storey is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Public Reaction and Consequences

Archbishop Shawn McKnight addressed the arrest in a statement, calling the news “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 added that the allegations are serious, that the legal processes must be allowed to proceed, and that “Father Storey is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law or internal canonical process” . The archdiocese said it had fully cooperated with law enforcement and would release no further information until both the criminal case and internal church processes are complete .

Storey left his court appearance without commenting to KCTV5 Investigates, though supporters attended the hearing — one told reporters outside, “He is a good person” . The parish was expected to file an insurance claim to recover the financial losses .

Current Status

Storey is charged with felony theft, a charge that carries a possible sentence of up to four years in prison in Kansas, and remains under house arrest with GPS monitoring ahead of further court proceedings . He was due back in court on July 15, 2026 in Olathe . He remains suspended from public ministry, and the separate Prairie Village Police investigation involving Storey and another adult — which prompted his resignation — remains open and unrelated to the theft charges .

Impact on Their Career/Life

The charge ended Storey’s run as pastor of one of the archdiocese’s parishes and has left him a suspended priest facing felony prosecution rather than retirement. Father John Riley, appointed temporary administrator after Storey’s resignation, was named permanent pastor in February 2026, installing new leadership at Curé of Ars months before the arrest became public . Within the archdiocese, the case prompted chancery officials to meet with parish staff to ensure proper financial protocols are in place, a direct institutional response to the alleged misuse of donated funds under Storey’s watch .

Sources

• WIBW/KCTV, “Former Leawood priest makes first court appearance in $160K parish theft case” — source
• KCTV5, “Leawood priest allegedly spent church money on cruises, casino cash, extravagant trips” — source
• National Catholic Register, “Priest Charged With Theft of $160,000 From Kansas Parish” — source