A former employee of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph has been arrested for stealing more than $150,000 from a diocesan scholarship fund and now faces up to 20 years in prison. 

Bishop James Johnston Jr., who leads the Missouri-based diocese, wrote a letter to the faithful announcing that “In recent days, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Missouri issued a sealed indictment and executed an arrest warrant for Jeremy Lillig, a former employee of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, who left his position with the diocese in October 2023.”

“The charges claim Mr. Lillig engaged in wire fraud in excess of $150,000 in his capacity as director of Bright Futures Fund,” Johnston wrote.

According to the charity’s website, the Bright Futures Fund helps offset the school fees at three diocesan schools in the urban core of Kansas City that are not affiliated with a parish. Johnston noted that the amount of money stolen by Lillig is within the range covered by insurance. 

“We became aware of Mr. Lillig’s potentially criminal financial activity shortly after his departure, which we promptly reported to local law enforcement and the FBI,” Johnston added. “Importantly, the FBI has assured us that their investigation did not find any individual donor funds which were diverted prior to secure deposit into the Bright Futures Fund.” 

Johnston described Lillig’s alleged crimes as “a gross violation of the trust and integrity that is essential to any institution, especially one upheld by Catholic teachings.” 

Johnston outlined changes the diocese has made to ensure the financial security of the Bright Futures Fund going forward, specifically highlighting its integration of the previously separate 501(c)(3) organization into the diocesan system as well as the participation of the diocesan financial officer in Bright Futures Fund board meetings and annual audits of the scholarship program. 

“I know these revelations are understandably hurtful to the faithful in our diocesan community, just as they are to me,” Johnston concluded. “I thank law enforcement for their efforts, and I thank you for your dedication to our ministries.” 

Lillig’s arrest follows a “full financial audit from an expert third-party firm.”

The Kansas City Star provided additional information about the allegations against Lillig, reporting that his alleged illegal actions took place between 2017 and 2021, after the Kauffman Foundation made a donation to the Bright Futures Fund designated for “emergency expenses and assistance.” After the diocese issued Lillig a credit card for the specific purpose of buying gifts using the donation, he purchased 436 Visa cards worth $155,000 to financially benefit himself and others while concealing the payments from fraudulent monthly reports he compiled. 

A grand jury indicted Lillig on Oct. 28. Appearing in court on Tuesday, Lillig pleaded not guilty to the charge against him. A trial is expected to take place in March 2026. If convicted, Lillig faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.