A Kansas man is accused of obtaining donations from churches by claiming that relatives were seriously ill or dying and that money was needed for travel connected to the supposed family emergencies.
Missouri authorities allege the stories were false.
Tracy Humbert, 53, of Fort Scott, Kansas, allegedly approached congregations in Missouri, Kansas and Iowa.
Rather than involving a single disputed donation, the Bates County investigation concerns a series of requests made to churches over an extended period, according to authorities.
A Church Alerted Deputies During Another Donation Request
The Bates County Sheriff’s Office said reports involving churches in its county spanned November 2025 through October 2026. Deputies arrested Humbert on October 11 after a congregation reported that he was allegedly seeking another donation.
The office asked other churches with similar experiences to contact investigators.
Jail Record Lists a Stealing Allegation and a November 4 Court Date
A Bates County inmate-roster record identifies Humbert’s booking on October 11, 2026, and lists an allegation of stealing property valued at $750 or more. It gives the jail-system reference as 26bs-cr00429 and labels the entry’s status Investigative.
The charge-level entry lists a $100,000 cash-only bond and a court date of November 4, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. in Bates County Associate Court.
Humbert is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Missouri Law Covers Property Obtained Through Deceit
Under Missouri Revised Statutes Section 570.030, stealing includes appropriating another person’s property with the purpose of depriving them of it through deceit or coercion. A payment does not automatically fall outside the law merely because the person providing it voluntarily handed over money based on a representation.
The statute generally makes stealing property worth $750 or more a Class D felony. It also allows property taken from different owners as part of one scheme or course of conduct to be aggregated when determining the offense’s classification, subject to the statute’s conditions.
Under the version of Missouri Section 558.011 in force in October 2026, a Class D felony carries a maximum prison sentence of seven years. That is a statutory maximum, not a predicted outcome in Humbert’s case.
How Churches Can Verify Requests for Emergency Travel Money
The Federal Trade Commission recommends taking time to research donation appeals rather than responding solely to urgency or emotional pressure.
Congregations considering assistance with transportation can request basic itinerary details and determine whether tickets or services can be purchased directly from the provider. Maintaining consistent approval procedures and payment records helps a church offer legitimate assistance while reducing the risk of an unverified cash payment.
Churches that believe they received a fraudulent appeal can preserve correspondence, dates of contact, donation receipts and any information about the claimed emergency. Other Bates County congregations with information can contact the Bates County Sheriff’s Office at 660-679-3232. Suspected scams may also be reported to the FTC through ReportFraud.ftc.gov.