PITTSBURGH — A senior Episcopal clergyman who leads Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Pittsburgh’s downtown area has been arrested on theft charges following allegations he shoplifted baseball cards worth more than $1,000 from a local Walmart store.
The Very Rev. Aidan Smith, age 42, was taken into custody on February 27 by law enforcement officers as he exited the Walmart location in Economy Borough, near Pittsburgh. According to police documents, Smith had hidden 27 packages of baseball cards beneath his clothes and inside a cardboard container.
Authorities filed charges of retail theft and receiving stolen property against Smith.
Officers responded after Walmart loss prevention personnel contacted them, reporting that Smith had returned to the store despite previous theft incidents on earlier dates. Law enforcement officials stated that surveillance footage from the retailer documented Smith taking baseball cards without payment on four consecutive days before his arrest.
According to police reports, Walmart calculated the total value of the stolen merchandise at $1,099.99.
The Right Rev. Ketlen Solak, who serves as bishop for the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, addressed cathedral members in a written statement last week, explaining that church officials would conduct their own inquiry and follow established religious protocols for addressing clerical misconduct.
“I have spoken with Aidan and assured him of our prayers for him in this difficult time. Please pray for Aidan, for Melanie and their children, for the entire cathedral congregation as we grieve this news, and for everyone involved in this hard situation,” Solak wrote.
According to Solak’s communication, Smith had already been placed on administrative leave beginning in late January, though the diocese provided no explanation for that earlier action. Smith’s attorney chose not to provide any statement regarding the case.
