1 month ago
A SantaCon kindness fundraiser that floods New York City pinch inebriated young group successful reddish and achromatic Santa costumes each vacation play was existent to its name: a con, national authorities said arsenic they arrested its organizer.
Stefan Pildes, 50, of Hewitt, New Jersey, was arrested connected Wednesday and awaited an quality successful Manhattan national court, wherever an indictment charging him pinch ligament fraud was unsealed.
Federal authorities said he donated to kindness only a mini fraction of nan $2.7m he raised done SantaCon events from 2019 to 2024.
A connection seeking remark was sent to an lawyer for Pildes. The suspect was to make an first quality earlier a magistrate judge connected Wednesday.
Authorities said he siphoned much than half of nan proceeds raised each twelvemonth to an entity he controlled truthful that he could finance individual needs, including renovations to a lakefront spot successful New Jersey, performance tickets, luxury vacations, royal meals and a luxury vehicle.
