The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a recent theft of $31,700 in gift cards and cash from St. John Catholic Church, 4614 Blue Springs Road, in Shady Valley.
Between 6 p.m. Oct. 22 and 6 a.m. Oct. 23, someone got inside the church, forced open the door to the business office, as well as a cabinet and drawers in the office, and got a key to open a room where there was a safe and stole $31,500 in gift cards, the Rev. Steve Robeson said.
In addition, the culprit forced open the poor box and stole $200 in cash, he said.
Robeson said the theft makes him “angry.”
“And sad,” he added, “especially for the poor people who can’t get the vital help they need right now.”
Robeson said some of the gift cards are for gas stations and the church gives them to people when they need help.
He said today (Oct. 31) that the church just got a call from someone who needed a gas card, and the church didn’t have any to give out.
The gift cards were from about 30 different companies, including Walmart, Dierbergs and other stores, Robeson said
The church buys them at a discounted rate and then sells them at face value to parishioners to raise funds, said Retta Nahlik, the church’s business manger.
Robeson said the church stocks up on the cards before the holiday season, so it seems like the thief knew that.
“The crew knew when to hit us,” he said.
Robeson said the church’s insurance will cover most of the loss, and the cards will be replaced.
Most of the stolen cards were canceled before they could be used so the church will only lose about $200, he added.
“So, there will be no big hit to the church,” Robeson said.
He said the church is always locked up in the evening.
However, the Sheriff’s Office said there were no signs of forced entry at the church’s exterior doors.
Capt. Ron Arnhart said the Sheriff’s Office has “some leads,” but as of this morning, there were no arrests.
He asks anyone with information about the theft to call the Sheriff’s Office tip line at 636-797-5515.