The plumber who discovered hundreds of envelopes of cash and checks in a wall at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church will receive a reward after all.
Crime Stoppers of Houston announced Tuesday it would give $20,000 to the plumber. He has only been identified by Justin, his first name.
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Justin said he found the money in about 500 envelopes stashed behind tile and insulation during a toilet repair at the megachurch in November.
The Houston Police Department is investigating and previously told Hearst Newspapers that it believes the November case is connected to an incident in 2014, when the church reported to authorities that $600,000 worth of checks and cash went missing from a safe.
When the money was first reported missing, Crime Stoppers had initially offered its standard $5,000 reward and Lakewood Church donated another $20,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case.
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This weekend, Justin told a Houston-based television station that he had yet to hear from the church and that he deserved a reward.
On Tuesday, the Crime Stoppers executive committee agreed to give the plumber the $20,000 donated by Lakewood Church.
“We are appreciative of the plumber, and we hope he pays the gift forward,” the church said in a statement to CNN.
Police have not said how they believe the money ended up in the restroom.
Lakewood Church told KHOU-11 that the money was found in a single-use public restroom meant for parents with children.
Timothy.Fanning@express-news.net