Kansas man accused of scamming churches across three states 

A Kansas man has been arrested in Bates County, Missouri, for deceptively convincing churches to give him money.

Tracy Humbert, 53, of Fort Scott, Kansas, is accused of scamming churches in Kansas, Missouri and Iowa. Humbert allegedly told church members and officials a heart-wrenching story indicating his family members were sick and dying. He told them he needed money to travel to them because they were in a different state, according to a press release by the Bates County Sheriff’s Office.

“This makes it so much harder for people that actually need the help and go to a church for help,” one person commented on a Facebook post by the Bates County Sheriff’s Office regarding Humbert.

Humbert allegedly contacted several churches, attempting to manipulate them into giving him money between November 2025 and October 2026.

Investigators discovered Humbert’s sob story was fake, and he was arrested Oct. 11 after a Bates County church called police while Humbert was at the facility.

Humbert is charged with theft by deceit, a Class D felony, and is being held at the Bates County Jail on a $100,000 cash-only bond. 

If anyone in Bates County was contacted by Humbert in an attempt to get money from them, the sheriff’s office is encouraging them to report the incident.