A Catholic priest in Pottstown, Pennsylvania allegedly used a church credit card to spend over $40,000 on “power-ups” in mobile games Mario Kart Tour and Candy Crush over a three-year span. As reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, on April 25, Reverend Lawrence Kozak, 51, was charged with theft and other related crimes according to an affidavit of probable cause for his arrest. He has since been released after posting the $250,000 bail. His attorney is reviewing the charges.
” Other records showed that Kozak had, at one point, used his personal bank account to pay $10,000 off the church’s credit card bill. Kozak was interviewed by police in 2022 Detectives reportedly interviewed Kozak in 2022 and the priest told them that he was seeking out counseling for his mobile game addiction. He clarified with investigators that he had not spent the money on gambling, but instead spent thousands of dollars on items to “power-up” and gain an advantage in various games.