Mobile gaming can be a time-consuming and expensive endeavor. This was once again proven by a Catholic priest who was recently arrested and charged with stealing more than $40,000 from his former parish. He spent the money not on good deeds, but on worldly pleasures such as Candy Crush and Mario Kart, ITC.UA reports.
The Rev. Lawrence Kozak, 51, was charged with theft and other related crimes for allegedly using a church credit card to pay for mobile game purchases totaling $41879.83. He was engaged in this vanity entertainment between September 2019 and July 2022. Kozak favored games such as Candy Crush, Mario Kart Tour, Pokémon Go, and Cash Frenzy, as well as various slot machines and hidden object games.
The reverend’s sinful deeds could have continued, but, according to investigators, in 2022, an accountant working at the Pottstown (Pennsylvania) church discovered an astronomical number of transactions in favor of Apple» in the parish’s credit card statements. This happened during a financial audit. The Apple ID was allegedly registered to Kozak.
However, the games were not the only thing that warmed the soul of the holy father. A credit card with parish funds was also used to buy things through an Amazon account registered to Kozak. A Fire tablet and a children’s backpack for his goddaughter also brought him spiritual grace at someone else’s expense.
Kozak denied knowingly using the parish credit card, claiming that both his personal bank card and the parish credit card were linked to his iPhone. He said that the church card was used to pay for authorized streaming services and Microsoft Office software, but admitted that he may have used it to buy gaming items because he was not very familiar with the details. He added that these purchases were made for «boosting» and not for the purpose of gambling. Additionally, he stated under oath that he was seeking counseling for his gambling addiction and spending money on online games.
Records show that Kozak actually made payments totaling $10600 from his personal bank account to the parish’s credit card balance. In November 2022, the church placed Kozak on administrative leave. He subsequently sent a letter with a check for $8000 to «reimburse the parish». The handwritten letter read:
«I am very sorry that I made this mistake, which caused you stress».
Kozak was charged last Thursday and released after posting $250,000 bail.
Source: techspot