The head priest of an Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh has resigned after being accused of stealing more than $1,000 in baseball cards from a Walmart.
The Right Rev. Ketlen Solak, the Episcopal bishop of Pittsburgh, said in a letter that she has accepted the resignation of the Very Rev. Aidan Everett Smith, who served as the dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.
Smith, 42, of Ambridge, was arrested on Feb. 27 after leaving a Walmart in Economy, a borough outside of Pittsburgh. He has been charged with retail theft and receiving stolen property.
Police said at the time that Smith had 27 packs of baseball cards hidden under his clothes and in a cardboard box when he was arrested.
Security video footage from the store showed Smith shoplifting baseball cards on four previous occasions, police said.
The total number of cards stolen is estimated to be $1,099.99.
In the letter, Solak said Smith had been placed on administrative leave back in January, prompted by an investigation into “whether Aidan improperly sold artifacts belonging to the cathedral through online platforms.”
While that investigation and the criminal charges are two separate incidents, the church will look into them as one case, Solak said.
Solak added that she, members of the executive committee, and the Rev. Canon Mary Jayne Ledgerwood will be in charge of cathedral operations for the foreseeable future.
“Please continue to pray for Aidan, his family, and for everyone impacted by these events,” Solak wrote. “I understand this news may be deeply upsetting, and I am committed to walking through this time of healing and transition with you.”