The Houston plumber who found $600,000 stuffed in the bathroom walls of the high-profile Lakewood Church has been gifted a $20,000 reward after speaking out that he was ‘upset’ famed preacher Joel Osteen hadn’t reached out to thank him.
Justin Cauley was fixing a toilet at America’s largest church on November 10 when he removed a tile behind the appliance and out spilled $200,000 in cash and 500 checks worth $400,000.
The money is believed to be tied to a theft reported at the church seven years ago that has never been solved. After reporting the discovery and returning the money to the church, however, Cauley said he was dismayed when he didn’t hear from Osteen.
‘I wanted to hear him say, “You know, Justin, what you did was right. We understand what you did and what you could have done.” I feel like, at this point, I should have heard something. I’m just a little upset,’ he told reporters Sunday, after attending one of Osteen’s services, Fox News reported.
Justin Cauley, the Houston plumber who found $600,000 in the walls of Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church, has been gifted a $20,000 reward for the discovery
Cauley was given the reward by Crime Stoppers of Houston just days after he said he was 'upset' that he didn't hear a 'thank you' from the church's high-profile leader Joel Osteen
Cauley was fixing a toilet at America’s largest church on November 10 when he removed a tile behind the appliance
Just days after his statement, however, Crime Stoppers of Houston – which has been investigating the stolen funds since 2014 – reached out to offer him a $20,000 reward.
‘My heart stopped, needless to say. I had no clue that that call would come about. Bills are stacking up, work is starting to get slow … This money is gonna help tremendously. It’s a bit of a blessing,’ he told Click2Houston.
A Facebook page listed as a plumber from Houston named ‘Justin Cauley’ shows photos of him with a woman and two babies.
Crime Stoppers of Houston offered a $5,000 reward for anyone with information in the case and, two years later, Lakewood donated $20,000 to Crime Stoppers to progress the investigation, as there were still no leads into what happened.
Now, that gift is in Cauley’s hands.
"In 2016, Lakewood Church made a $20,000 charitable donation to Crime Stoppers of Houston to help solve this case and support them for all they do for the community. We are appreciative of the plumber, and we hope he pays the gift forward," the church said in a statement on Tuesday.
Cauley intends to ‘pay it forward’ by donating a portion of the money back to Crime Stoppers of Houston and another portion to the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Above is the $20,000 check Crime Stoppers of Houston gifted to Cauley
Cauley told Click2Houston that he intends to ‘pay it forward’ by donating a portion of the money back to Crime Stoppers of Houston and another portion to the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The $600,000 was stolen in 2014 from a portion of donations made on one weekend of services, which an employee discovered the Monday after Lent. In addition to cash, the thieves took Lakewood Church's checks and deposit slips that listed parishioners' credit card information.
An employee had discovered the break-in on the Monday morning following Lent. Donation funds are fully insured, so Lakewood Church did not lose out on the money at the time - but the case is still
