We often caution kids about spending too much time on mobile games, but who would have thought a priest would fall into that trap? Yes, you heard it right. Due to his addiction to mobile gaming, a Catholic priest found himself in hot water. Rev. Lawrence Kozak was recently arrested and charged with stealing over $40,000 (approximately Rs. 33 lakhs) from his church. Reports suggest that Kozak spent this money on “power-ups” in games like Candy Crush and Mario Kart, along with lavish gifts for his goddaughter.
Had he been using his own cash, it might not have raised eyebrows. However, it’s alleged that Kozak used the church’s credit card to foot these bills, a discovery made back in 2022. Consequently, he was relieved of his duties at St. Thomas More Church and put on leave after an “astronomical amount of Apple transactions” were traced to his Apple ID on the church’s statements.
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Fast forward to April 25, 2024, and the 51-year-old former clergyman finds himself formally charged with theft and related offences.
During questioning, Kozak claimed that he was seeking help for his online gaming spending habits and denied intentionally using the church’s credit card. He explained that the card was already connected to his mobile device for church-related expenses like streaming services and office software. However, he admitted that he may have accidentally used the card, citing his lack of attention to detail.
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According to financial records, Kozak allocated $10,000 (Rs. 8 lakhs) from his personal funds towards settling a portion of the credit card debt. Furthermore, following his arrest, he took steps to make reparations by issuing a check of $8,000 (Rs. 6 lakhs) to the church, accompanied by a heartfelt apology.
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