Justin Cauley has been identified as the plumber who discovered loads of money stashed inside a bathroom wall of Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas.
Last week, news broke that Cauley appeared on a segment by the Morning Bullpen at 100.3 The Bull in Houston, Texas, which was featuring callers telling stories regarding items of value they had found.
That call led to the resurfacing of a 2014 crime reported by Lakewood Church that had gone unsolved. Back then, Crime Stoppers of Houston was offering a reward, which led some to question whether these events were linked and if the plumber would receive any reward.
On Tuesday, those questions was answered when Cauley received a $20,000 reward from Crime Stoppers of Houston.
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“My heart stopped,” Cauley said to KPRC Click2Houston News. “Needless to say I have really had no clue that would come about.”
When Crime Stoppers called Cauley, he thought he was in trouble for something. Instead, he was told he would receive $20,000 for alerting the proper authorities after finding an estimated 500 envelopes of cash, checks, and money orders.
“Bills are stacking up and work [is getting] slow,” Cauley said. “I’m just trying to make the best of it, and today a light shined through…This money is going to help tremendously.”
Cauley thanked the Osteen family for donating the money to Crime Stoppers of Houston and called it a blessing. Earlier this week, the plumber said he was upset that he hadn’t heard from the megachurch pastor.
In a statement released by Crime Stoppers of Houston, the organization known for helping law enforcement agencies solve criminal activity explained that in 2014, Lakewood Church reported that approximately $600,000 was stolen from a church safe.
