7/22/2023 0 Comments Plumber finds money in church wall![]() ![]() ![]() “I feel like, at this point, I should have heard something,” the plumber told KPRC. Lakewood Church officials have not publicly addressed the discovery of the envelopes. A plumber doing repair work at pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church found hundreds of envelopes of cash and checks hidden in a wall that police think is connected to a massive 2014. At the time of the theft, church officials sent a letter out to more than 40,000 parishioners stating that they were working with their insurance company to restore the funds to the church. KHOU also reported that the $600,000 that was originally stolen was fully insured. “I didn’t solve their case but I solved very key important clues as to what could or may have happened there,” the plumber said.Ĭrime Stoppers deputy director told KHOU that despite the statute of limitations expiring, the plumber would have also had to provide information on who took the money to be eligible for the reward in the first place. “I thought somebody had a little stash,” the plumber said.Ĭrime Stoppers originally offered a $25,000 reward for anyone who was able to help solve the case but the statute of limitations has passed for the reward and is no longer available for the plumber. The envelopes are believed to be connected to a March 2014 theft when officials with Lakewood Church reported that $600,000 in donations was stolen - a crime that was never solved, according to KHOU. He told the radio DJs that when he started moving the toilet and insulation from the wall, roughly 500 envelopes fell onto the floor. I feel like some type of reward should get offered to me,” the plumber told KSAT’s sister station KPRC.Ī man claiming to be the plumber called the 100.3 The Bull radio show last Thursday and said he was at the Houston megachurch fixing a loose toilet. He has solved a case that has been on the books for seven years.HOUSTON – A plumber who found hundreds of envelopes filled with cash and checks while he was repairing a loose toilet at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church says he’s upset he hasn’t been rewarded. George Lindsey, a host of "The Morning Bullpen," said he believes Justin was frustrated that he hadn't heard anything from the church or police since finding the stash. Crime Stoppers still has a $5,000 reward for the case, but only for information that leads to an arrest, meaning that the plumber wouldn't qualify simply for finding the loot. RELATED: "Bags and bags" of money found stashed in bathroom wall at Joel Osteen's megachurch: reportĪ Crime Stoppers Houston official told the NYT that $20,000 of the $25,000 reward had been donated by Lakewood Church. "During the call, the plumber noted that there was a $25,000 reward offered, saying with a laugh, 'I need some compensation.' He said he never thought about pocketing any of the envelopes," the NYT reports. ![]() The discovery only came to light after the plumber shared his story on a local radio station. The plumber who found the money identified himself only as Justin when he told his story Thursday morning on the " The Morning Bullpen with George Mo and Erik." Police said the plumber found checks and money orders along with the cash stashed in the church’s walls. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the church housed in former stadium that was home to the Houston Rockets drew roughly 42,000 people to services every week. The New York Times reports that after the 2014 theft, which reportedly was discovered by an employee, the church said in a statement that the missing "funds were fully insured, and we are working with our insurance company to restore the stolen funds to the church." According to KPRC Channel 2, the church also said the stolen money represented funds that were contributed during one weekend of services. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. "Evidence from the recovered checks suggests this November case is connected to a Matheft report of undisclosed amounts of money at the church," the Houston Police Department said in a statement posted to Twitter on Friday afternoon, adding that the investigation is continuing. The plumber's discovery came seven years Lakewood Church reported that $200,000 in cash and $400,000 in checks had been stolen from the safe. 10 by a plumber who removed tile and insulation from the wall while fixing a loose toilet. ![]() The cash, checks and money orders were discovered on Nov. Money recently discovered in a wall at Lakewood Church in Houston is believed to be tied to a 2014 burglary at the church in which hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and checks were stolen. The "bags and bags" of money found stashed in a bathroom wall at televangelist Joel Osteen's megachurch have been linked to a 2014 theft from a safe at the Houston facility. This article originally appeared on Raw Story ![]()
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