Plumber to get $20,000 for finding cash stashed in wall of Joel Osteen’s church

The plumber who turned successful hundreds of envelopes of currency and checks helium recovered successful a partition astatine televangelist Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church is getting $20,000 for his bully deed.

The find is believed to beryllium connected to the 2014 theft of astir $600,000 from the mega-church, according to the Houston Police Department.

Crime Stoppers of Houston announced Tuesday it would springiness $20,000 to the plumber, who has lone been identified publically by his archetypal name, Justin.

Lakewood Church had enactment up the wealth arsenic portion of a $25,000 reward successful the case, and past donated it to Crime Stoppers erstwhile the statute of limitations expired.

The lawsuit had gone unsolved until Justin recovered astir 500 envelopes past month, portion fixing a toilet successful a nationalist household restroom successful the church.

“In 2016, Lakewood Church made a $20,000 charitable donation to Crime Stoppers of Houston to assistance lick this lawsuit and enactment them for each they bash for the community. We are appreciative of the plumber, and we anticipation helium pays the acquisition forward,” the religion said successful a connection connected Tuesday.

Crime Stoppers of Houston CEO Rania Mankarious told CNN the enactment does not springiness rewards for uncovering stolen property, but the group’s enforcement committee unanimously agreed Justin should person the wealth from Lakewood Church.

“What we are doing is passing a acquisition connected due to the fact that helium is the rightful holder of that gift, and he’s a bully Samaritan. He did the close thing,” Mankarious said.

Police were called successful to analyse connected November 10, but quality of the find did not go nationalist until past Thursday, erstwhile Justin called into vigor presumption 100.3 The Bull and told the story.

He called backmost Monday and shared much details astir uncovering the envelopes.

“They didn’t autumn retired successful beforehand of me, but they fell successful the wall. Yeah, I could perceive the commotion successful the wall,” Justin told The Morning Bullpen hosts. “I shined my flashlight successful there, and you could spot statements, immoderate dollar bills, conscionable random worldly successful there.”

In a connection connected Friday, the Houston Police Department said an undisclosed magnitude of wealth — including cash, checks and wealth orders — was inventoried, documented and past near with the church.

The stolen wealth was insured, and a religion spokeswoman said the religion has resolved the substance with its security company.

Mankarious said Justin was precise quiescent erstwhile she called him to fto him cognize he’d beryllium getting the money.

“He said ‘I can’t convey you enough. I mean these are truly hard times and I wanted to bash the close happening and I did the close thing, but you cognize these are pugnacious times for everyone and truthful this wealth is going to spell a truly agelong way,’” she said.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.