Plumber Finds Royal Flush in Wall of Joel Osteen's Houston Church

**UPDATE**12/7/21**THE PLUMBER HAS RECEIVED THE REWARD MONEY FROM CRIMESTOPPERS!

One of the last things anyone would expect to find while fixing a toilet would probably be a giant stash of cash. However, ksat.com is reporting that this is exactly what happened to a plumber working at Joel Osteen's Lakewood church in Houston, Texas.

Of all the churches in Houston, Lakewood Church got the most money from the Paycheck Protection Plan Loan in 2020. The organization received a $4.4 million loan, according to the Houston Chronicle and federal data.

Osteen faced criticism for his lavish lifestyle earlier this year, when it was revealed that the wealthy pastor owns a Ferrari sportscar worth over $300,000.

But let's go back to 2014. According to KHOU, Lakewood Church reported at least $600,000 in donations was stolen from the church in cash, checks, and envelopes containing credit card details. The church sent a letter to members about the robbery, and warned those who made a donation during services on March 8th and 9th to keep a close eye on their bank accounts.

Despite a $25,000 reward from Crime Stoppers, along with plenty of media coverage, the missing donations were never found.

So last month, a man who said he was a plumber called a Houston radio station and claimed that while doing repair work, he found about 500 envelopes filled with cash and checks in a bathroom wall. In the process of removing tile and insulation, the loot reportedly fell out of the exposed area.

**Crime Stoppers has said the man will not receive any reward money because no arrest has been made, no charges have been filed, and the statute of limitations on the reward has already expired. Newsweek also reported that the man has gotten no response on a possible reward from Lakewood Church or the Houston Police department. **(See update at top of story 12/7/21)**

Could this be the missing money from the reported 2014 robbery?

Right now, Houston police are investigating the story, and the amount that was found has not been disclosed. At least it wasn't flushed away!