A priest in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has pleaded guilty to a six-figure theft from a local parish, archdiocesan officials said this week.
Father Richard Storey, who was accused in May of stealing $160,000 from Curé of Ars Catholic Church in Leawood near Kansas City, Kansas, pleaded guilty to the theft on Oct. 27.
The Kansas City Archdiocese said in a statement that Storey had already repaid just under $160,000 to the parish as restitution. The priest will be sentenced in January.
The archdiocese said it would initiate a canonical investigation following the guilty plea. In addition to the theft, the diocese said it would investigate an "allegation involving an adult victim."
The archdiocesan finance council's audit committee will review the results of the investigation, the statement said, after which the committee would present its own analysis to the archdiocesan promoter of justice, who will suggest potential canonical actions to Archbishop Shawn McKnight.
The archbishop "will share the findings of the investigation with the Curé of Ars Parish and communicate its conclusion to the faithful," the archdiocese said.
Storey allegedly utilized the stolen funds in part on cruises, including at least one apparent withdrawal from within a casino.
Tens of thousands of dollars, meanwhile, were reportedly spent on international travel. The archdiocesan statement said that Storey's guilty plea fell under "severity level 7," or a "non-person, non-drug felony."
The Kansas City Star reported that the plea agreement recommended the priest receive probation including "substance abuse evaluation."
