Affidavit: Kansas priest used parish money on cruises, casinos, weight loss expenses

Much of the unauthorized spending was allegedly carried out on the parish credit card.

A priest in the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas used embezzled parish money to fund cruises, casinos, and a variety of medical treatments, according to an affidavit in the case.

The priest, Fr. Richard Storey, was arrested last month after an internal audit at his former parish alleged that he stole nearly $160,000 prior to his resignation.

He faces charges of theft of property or services worth $100,000 — a crime classified in Kansas as a level five felony charge, which can be punished by up to 10 years in prison.

Storey had already resigned as pastor of Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood, Kansas last September, when police launched a separate criminal investigation into unspecified allegations involving an adult.

He had served as pastor of the parish for a decade prior to his resignation.

Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood, Kansas. Credit: Facebook.

A partially redacted affidavit was released in the case last week. It said an audit of Curé of Ars Parish for the years 2021-2025 revealed unauthorized spending totaling nearly $160,000.

The unauthorized spending was allegedly carried out on the parish credit card and via another avenue, which was redacted in the document.

“Father Storey personally wrote checks on the fund and was in possession of the [redacted] checkbook,” the affidavit said.

Court documents allege that Storey used the church credit card to pay $77,000 for cruise vacations, nearly $24,000 for a “casino cash withdraw[al],” and $27,000 for travel expenses to London, Paris, Dublin, and New York.

The audit also uncovered more than $11,000 in unauthorized pharmacy, medical, dental, and eyewear expenses, as well as nearly $6,000 in retail spending at Jos. A. Bank, Nordstrom Rack, and other retailers.

Additionally, parish records suggest Storey made unauthorized “donations” to church fundraising efforts from the church credit card the other redacted account, for a total of more than $30,000 — apparently to make fundraising efforts appear more successful than they’d been.

“These transactions artificially inflated the reported fundraising totals without generating any new external funds,” the affidavit said.

Storey resigned as pastor of Curé of Ars on September 17, 2025 after the Prairie Village Police Department notified Storey and the archdiocese that he was under investigation for unspecified potential illegal actions against one adult, seemingly unrelated to his alleged financial crimes.

The archdiocese, at the time, said that after being informed of the criminal investigation, they had initiated a preliminary canonical investigation and temporarily suspended Storey from the public exercise of ministry.

A criminal report obtained by The Pillar states that the alleged offense began on March 12, 2022 and occurred until November 11, 2022. The alleged incident was reported three years later on September 9, 2025.

The report lists one victim, but information about the victim and the alleged crime has been redacted.

Prairie Village, a township that borders Leawood to the north, has not filed any charges against Storey yet.

After Storey’s resignation, the parish initiated a financial audit, following standard diocesan protocol for parishes undergoing a change in pastoral leadership.

That audit discovered the missing funds, and led archdiocesan authorities to contact police.

The Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas said in a statement that it is “fully cooperating with local law enforcement” and is conducting an internal canonical process as well.

“This news is 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,” said Archbishop Shawn McKnight.

During the last year of his pastorship, Storey launched and coordinated a $12 million capital campaign at Curé of Ars. To date, the “Cultivating through Christ Capital Campaign” has raised $6,434,054.50. The campaign is raising money to replace the church’s roof and refurnish the interior.

The capital campaign was approved by the archdiocese in late January 2025 and remains ongoing.

Curé of Ars intends to file an insurance claim to recover the financial losses.

Robert Warren, an assistant professor of accounting at Radford University, a retired IRS investigator, and an expert in theft and fraud in ecclesiastical contexts, called the affidavit shocking.

Warren has advocated in recent years for the implementation of internal controls to prevent financial fraud in parishes and other Catholic institutions.

Among the measures he encourages is having several people involved in financial transactions and record-keeping, in order to make it more difficult for fraud to take place.

The affidavit released last week said the unauthorized charges were hidden among legitimate expenditures on the credit card and other account.

“Archdiocese staff stated that Father Storey did not keep consistent records or provide documentation for much of the spending, making it difficult to know how many other charges were for personal benefit,” the document said.

Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood is far from alone in facing financial crimes. Parishes in Florida, Missouri, New York, Alabama, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts and Iowa are among those which have been victims of financial crimes in recent years.