The authorities have arrested a Catholic priest and formally accused him of embezzling more than $40,000 from church funds in order to support his addiction to mobile gaming.
Prior to the discovery of his alleged crimes in 2022, Reverand Lawrence Kozak served at St. Thomas More church in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. He was arrested at that time on suspicion of misusing the parish credit card and accumulating over $40,000 in expenses.
Following this, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia placed Kozak on administrative leave and removed him from his position at the church. On Thursday, April 25, 2024, the 51-year-old ex-clergyman was officially charged with theft and other related offenses.
According to sources at The Philadelphia Enquirer, the majority of the embezzled funds were used for in-app purchases for popular mobile games such as Candy Crush and Mario Kart Tour. While additional purchases were also made, the majority of the funds were spent through the App Store.
Priest accused of misusing church funds on Candy Crush denies allegations
The investigation into the case confirmed that a church accountant discovered a large number of Apple transactions on the parish credit card during a routine examination of the church’s finances. The transactions were found to have started in September 2019 and continued until Kozak’s discovery in July 2022.
In his initial interviews with detectives, Kozak maintained that he did not intentionally use the church credit card for the purchases. He explained that the card was connected to his phone for authorized church payments on software and streaming services.
According to Kozak, the unintentional expenditures on Candy Crush and similar mobile games were a result of his lack of attention to detail. Detectives reported that he expressed disappointment in himself for allowing the situation to escalate and acknowledged that he had no valid excuse, other than not being attentive enough.
According to financial records, Kozack initially used $10,000 of his personal funds to cover a portion of the credit card debt. Following his arrest, he has made an additional payment of $8,000 to the church through both a check and a written apology.
The prosecution is adamant that the expenditure was not accidental, and Catholics4Change, an advocacy group, has collaborated with the church throughout the inquiry. “This is a criminal offense that must be prosecuted,”a representative stated. “It is reassuring that the matter is now in the court’s hands rather than solely in the hands of the Archdiocese.”
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