Aidan Smith, the head priest and dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Pittsburgh, was arrested on charges accusing him of stealing baseball cards from a Walmart, according to court records cited by police.
Police said they arrested Smith on Feb. 27 just after he left a Walmart in Economy Borough, a community outside Pittsburgh. Officers said the stop came after a call from Walmart security, which reported that Smith was in the store again after being accused of stealing from it on previous days.
Court records described Smith as leaving the store with 27 packs of baseball cards concealed under his clothing and in a cardboard box. Police said Smith was charged with receiving stolen property and retail theft.
Police also said Walmart security video showed Smith taking baseball cards each of four previous days and leaving without paying. Walmart valued the alleged stolen cards at $1,099.99, police said.
Smith, 42, had been on administrative leave since late January, according to messages from church leadership. In a note sent last week to cathedral members, the Right Rev. Ketlen Solak, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, said diocese officials would investigate the situation and follow church canons that outline a process for handling clergy misconduct.
Solak wrote that she had spoken with Smith and assured him of prayers “in this difficult time.” She also asked congregants to pray for Smith, his wife, Melanie, and their children, “for the entire cathedral congregation as we grieve this news, and for everyone involved in this hard situation,” according to the message reported in the case coverage.
The Associated Press reported that Smith’s defense lawyer declined comment.