Parish Admin's Boyfriend Stole $10K Check From St. Luke's Church In East Greenwich: Cops

EAST GREENWICH, RI — The boyfriend of the St. Luke's Church administrator stole a $10,019 check from the East Greenwich house of worship, then claimed the church treasurer gave him the money as a "gift," police said.

Stephen Gadbois, 31, was charged Wednesday with misdemeanor larceny.

See also: Dead Man Found Outside Tiverton Garage: Cops

In August, between $16,000 and $17,000 in checks and $300 to $400 in cash were discovered to be "missing from three locked money bags stored in a locked file cabinet inside a locked office," according to an East Greenwich Police Department report.

"Keys to both the file cabinet and money bags, normally kept in an unlocked key box nearby, were also missing," the report said. "The theft appeared targeted, with no signs of forced entry, suggesting prior knowledge of the storage location and keys."

See also: Husband And Wife Hit By SUV Crossing Cranston Street: Cops

The parish administrator told of "arriving that morning with her boyfriend, Stephen Gadbois," according to the report.

"She saw Gadbois go directly into the treasurer's office before the missing funds were discovered," the report said, and she "later confirmed Gadbois knew where church donations were stored."

See also: Snowstorm To Cause 'Significant Travel Disruptions' For Rhode Island

The following day, security at Navigant Bank "identified Gadbois as the person who deposited a $10,019 check payable to St. Luke's Church into his personal account" shortly after 11:30 a.m." the morning the money was discovered to be missing, according to the report.

Gadbois admitted to making the deposit, the report said, but claimed the church treasurer "gave him the check as a gift, saying, 'It's your lucky day.'"

See also: MA Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Rhode Island Prison For Wrong-Way Crashes: AG

The treasurer "denied this, stating he had never given Gadbois any church funds and confirmed the check was among the missing donations," according to the report.

Gadbois, a Lincoln resident, is due in court Feb. 2 for his arraignment.

See also: South Kingstown Hit With Ghost Gun And Other Firearm Charges: Cops