Catholic Priest Accused of $214K Online Gambling and Gift Spree at Pennsylvania Church

The Catholic priest Lawrence Kozak in Pottstown, Pennsylvania faces legal consequences as accused of draining nearly $214,00 from St. Thomas More Parish’ funds through online purchases between September 2019 and June 2022. The criminal complaint and affidavit of probable cause suggest that Kozak used a parish credit card to charge approximately $44,00 on games such as Candy Crush and Pokémon GO associated with his Apple ID during this period. However, the total amount spent by him was reportedly around $214,00 which also included virtual slot machines. Kozak explained that he wasn’t using church funds to gamble but rather for “powering up”. Additionally, it is alleged that $10,00 were drawn on behalf of a family account during his spending spree where some presents, like an Amazon Fire tablet and a chemistry set valued at more than 8K dollars, were bought as gifts for Kozak’s niece. In response to the accusations, Kozak expressed remorse in writing, stating that he had been paying off the credit card since April when everything started happening. He also included an $8000 check with his letter addressed to St Thomas More Parish’ new priest as a gesture of apology and hopeful amends for what is assumed to be “his mistake” causing undue stress. It remains unclear whether Kozak’s actions were motivated by addiction or personal gain, but the investigation continues in this regard.