Catholic Priest Allegedly Steals $40,000 of Church Money to Play Candy Crush and Other Mobile Games

Lawrence Kozak was charged with theft by unlawful taking, failing to make required disposition of funds, and accessing a device he was unauthorized to.

May 2, 2024

Person sitting and playing a game on a smartphone with earphones connected — Mike Kemp / In Pictures via Getty Images

A Pennsylvania priest was arrested last week for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars in church money to support his mobile gaming habit.

According to CBS News, Lawrence Kozak — a former pastor at St. Thomas More Parish in Pittstown — was put behind bars on April 25 after police discovered he had made 2,000 “gaming” transactions on his Apple ID. The purchases were made from September 2019 to June 2022 and totaled $214,000, $40,000 of which was charged to a credit card that belonged to a church. The outlet reports most of the purchases went to popular mobile apps, like Candy Crush, Mario Kart, Pokémon Go, and multiple slot machine games.

Kozak reportedly told detectives that his purchases did not qualify as gambling, but instead “powering up.”

Investigators also allege the Catholic priest used the parish’s credit card to buy his granddaughter multiple gifts on Amazon, including a chemistry set and a tablet computer. He was subsequently charged with theft by unlawful taking, failing to make required disposition of funds, and accessing a device he was unauthorized to.

“Father Lawrence Kozak was placed on administrative leave by the Archdiocese in November of 2022,” the Archdiocese said in a statement to WEAU. “His administrative leave followed a review of Saint Thomas More Parish’s financial activity by the Archdiocesan Office for Parish Services and Support. That review resulted in certain expenses and expenditure levels utilizing parish funds being questioned. The Archdiocese then referred the matter to law enforcement.”