Seven years in the past, Lakewood Church, the Houston megachurch led by Joel Osteen, the outstanding televangelist, reported that $200,000 in money and $400,000 in checks had been stolen from a church secure.
Final month, the cash might have been found — not by detectives or church personnel, however fairly by a plumber fixing a bathroom inside a church toilet.
The plumber revealed the invention on Thursday when he referred to as right into a Houston radio present.
“There was a free bathroom within the wall, and we eliminated the tile,” he stated on 100.3 FM’s morning present. “We went to go take away the bathroom, and I moved some insulation away and about 500 envelopes fell out of the wall.”
His response? “Oh, wow.”
The plumber stated he contacted a upkeep supervisor after which gave the church the envelopes. On Friday, the Houston police confirmed that the cash gave the impression to be related to the 2014 theft.
In a statement on Twitter, the division stated that officers responded to a report of property found on the church on Nov. 10 and had been advised by church members {that a} “massive amount of cash, together with money, checks and cash orders” had been discovered inside a wall throughout a renovation venture.
Housebreaking and theft investigators responded and an undisclosed amount of cash was inventoried, documented and left within the custody of the church because it had been discovered on Lakewood’s property, the police stated.
“Proof from the recovered checks suggests this November case is related to a March 9, 2014 theft report of undisclosed quantities of cash on the church,” the police stated, including that the investigation was persevering with.
In a press release, Lakewood Church confirmed the invention.
“Just lately, whereas restore work was being executed at Lakewood Church, an undisclosed amount of money and checks had been discovered,” the church stated. “Lakewood instantly notified the Houston Police Division and is aiding them with their investigation. Lakewood has no additional remark presently.”
Mr. Osteen is among the many nation’s best-known televangelists, and his church, which holds companies within the former Compaq Middle, as soon as residence to the Houston Rockets, seats about 16,000 individuals. Earlier than the pandemic, the church had been drawing a mean of about 42,000 individuals to companies each week, in accordance with a church spokesman.
The 2014 theft from the church’s secure was found by a church worker, a Houston police spokesman advised The Houston Chronicle that 12 months.
Lakewood Church stated in a press release on the time that the “funds had been totally insured, and we’re working with our insurance coverage firm to revive the stolen funds to the church,” the newspaper reported. The church and Crime Stoppers of Houston had supplied $25,000 for data that led to the arrest of these answerable for the theft, in accordance with The Chronicle.
The plumber, who recognized himself solely as Justin, revealed that he had discovered the cash when he referred to as “The Morning Bullpen with George Mo and Erik” on Thursday.
The hosts had requested callers to share tales of the dear issues that they had discovered and had fielded calls a few misplaced marriage ceremony ring and a $100 invoice once they heard from the plumber, in accordance with George Lindsey, a number of the present.
“It was essentially the most distinctive and unimaginable cellphone name I’ve had in my 25-plus 12 months radio profession — indisputably,” Mr. Lindsey stated in an interview on Friday. He stated the present went to a business break to verify that the caller wasn’t pulling a prank after which let the plumber inform his story on air.
“I want we had video of all of our faces as he was telling the story as a result of it was like: Are you kidding me?” Mr. Lindsey stated, including that the 2014 theft was “large information” in Houston.
Throughout the name, the plumber famous that there was a $25,000 reward supplied, saying with fun, “I would like some compensation.” He stated he by no means thought of pocketing any of the envelopes.
“I’m an sincere man,” he stated.
Rania Mankarious, chief govt of Crime Stoppers of Houston, stated $20,000 of the reward had been supplied by Lakewood Church, which donated the cash to Crime Stoppers after a 12 months handed with no breaks within the case.
The group nonetheless has a $5,000 reward for the case, she stated, however the cash could be given just for data that helped investigators determine, cost or arrest a suspect.
Somebody who discovered the cash wouldn’t qualify for the reward, until the invention led the police to a suspect, she stated.
Mr. Lindsey stated he believed that the plumber was pissed off that he hadn’t heard something from the church or the police since he discovered the stash on Nov. 10.
“No one stated thanks,” Mr. Lindsey stated. “No one has stated a phrase to this man. He has solved a case that has been on the books for seven years.”