Plumber who discovered missing cash hidden in Joel Osteen’s megachurch rewarded $20,000

In November, a large quantity of money was found in a bathroom at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. The plumber who made the discovery, known only as Justin, spoke publicly in early December, stating that he was fixing the wall behind a toilet when approximately 500 envelopes of cash and cheques fell out.

"There was a loose toilet in the wall and we removed the tile," Justin told Houston's 100.3 fm. "Went to go remove the toilet and I moved some insulation away and about 500 envelopes fell out of the wall, and I was like, 'Oh wow'."

According to the Houston Police, the money is thought to be connected to a 2014 theft, wherein $600,000 of contributions were stolen from the megachurch.

As CNN reports, Lakewood Church made a donation of $20,000 to Houston Crime Stoppers, which the organization then gave to Justin, because "he is the rightful holder of that gift."

"He's a good Samaritan," they added. "He did the right thing."

Houston Crime Stoppers CEO Rania Mankarious said Justin was very quiet upon receiving the money, but thanked the organization for their gift, saying that their gift would "go a really long way" in these tough times.