(PA)
WKRC-TV, CBS-12 [Cincinnati OH]
April 30, 2024
By CNN newsource
A Catholic priest allegedly spent $40,000 of church money on Candy Crush and slot machine apps.
A Pennsylvania Catholic priest was accused of stealing $40,000 from a parish and using the money to play games on his phone. According to CBS News, citing a criminal complaint and affidavit of probable cause, Lawrence Kozak allegedly spent over $214,000 on his Apple ID, with just under $44,000 of that amount charged to a credit card associated with the parish.
Authorities claim he racked-up the charges over a three year span, using the some of the cash to play games like Candy Crush Saga, Pokémon Go and virtual slot machines, according to the network.
Per CBS, the slot machine apps named in the complaint were the following:
- Cash Frenzy
- Willy Wonka Vegas Casino Slots
- Wizard of Oz Slot Machine Game
The network noted that these apps do not award real money for wins in the game, but allow you to spend actual money to play. According to CBS, Kozak described spending money on his slot apps as “powering up” instead of gambling.
Kozak’s Amazon account was also reviewed and it was found that he allegedly used the parish card to buy gifts for his goddaughter, which included a chemistry set and an Amazon Fire tablet, per the network.
According to CBS, the parish’s business manager noted that it wasn’t the first time there was alleged erroneous spending at the church. Per the network, Monsignor Joseph McLoone resigned from St. Joseph Church in 2018 after he was accused and later pleaded guilty to stealing thousands in parish funds to pay for a beach house at the Jersey Shore, pad his salary and send money to men.
Kozak is charged with the following, according to CBS:
- Theft by unlawful taking
- Failing to make required disposition of funds
- Accessing a device he was unauthorized to
The archdiocese issued a statement saying Kozak was placed on administrative leave from the church after a review of the parish’s financial activity in 2022.
According to CBS, Kozak bonded out and is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday.