Manhattan Franciscan Friar Charged With Wire And Mail Fraud Related To Fake Medical Charity In Beirut, Lebanon

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that, on Saturday, August 17, 2024, PAWEL BIELECKI, a/k/a "Paul Bielecki," a/k/a "Paul HRH Saxe-Coburg-Gotha," a/k/a "Dr. Phaakon Sonderburg-Glucksburg," a/k/a "Father Paul," a/k/a "Father Kowal," was arrested on charges of wire fraud and mail fraud. BIELECKI will be presented in White Plains federal court later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: "As alleged, Pawel Bielecki exploited his position as a friar to gain the trust of victims across the country and steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from them. Bielecki is now facing federal charges for allegedly illegally profiteering on the trust his victims placed in him."

As alleged in the Complaint:[1]

BIELECKI is a friar in the Capuchin Order, a Catholic order of priests and brothers. BIELECKI is a brother in a Province based in White Plains (the "Province"), which operates friaries in, among other places, New York City. To become a Capuchin friar, BIELECKI took a vow of poverty that requires him to renounce and not to hold any property or bank accounts in his name for his personal benefit. The Province provides friars, including BIELECKI, with a monthly stipend of approximately $250 for personal expenses, as well as a credit card, paid for by the Province, for friary-related expenses.[2]

BIELECKI has engaged in an ongoing fraudulent scheme related to fake medical clinics he claims to operate in Lebanon. As described further in the Complaint, through appearances and advertisements on radio programs and online podcasts, as well as various other media, including campaigns on various crowdfunding websites, BIELECKI has fraudulently obtained donations from victims by claiming, among other misrepresentations, to run medical clinics in Beirut, Lebanon, when in fact BIELECKI was keeping victims' donations for his personal use.

For example, from at least in or about June 2015 through at least in or about December 2023, BIELECKI repeatedly appeared as a guest or through advertisements on a particular local New York radio show ("Radio Program-1"). During these appearances and advertisements, BIELECKI repeatedly represented that he was a Catholic priest and physician living in Lebanon and running medical clinics there, with the goal of assisting Christians living in the Middle East. BIELECKI also made similar appearances on other radio programs and electronic media. For example, on or about April 1, 2023, BIELECKI appeared on a second radio show ("Radio Program-2") to tell his "story" and to solicit donations for his purported medical clinics. Radio Program-2 continued to solicit donations on behalf of BIELECKI on numerous occasions from at least in or around June 2023 through at least in or around August 2024.

In these radio and media appearances, BIELECKI falsely represented, in sum and substance, among other things, the following:

• BIELECKI is a physician, vascular surgeon, cardiac surgeon, and/or general surgeon, and he has also earned multiple Ph.D. degrees;
• BIELECKI runs two medical clinics in Lebanon and is raising money for medicine, medical equipment, baby incubators, food, and an ambulance for his clinics in Lebanon;
• And BIELECKI, at the time of recording certain shows, was physically present in Lebanon, and he was badly injured and his clinics badly damaged by a widely reported August 2020 explosion in Beirut, Lebanon.

These representations were false. In fact, BIELECKI is not a physician or surgeon of any kind, he has not also earned multiple Ph.D. degrees, and he does not operate any medical clinics in Lebanon. In fact, travel records show that BIELECKI was in the U.S. continuously from in or around December 2019 through in or around April 2022, and on specific dates when he claimed during media appearances to be in Lebanon working on behalf of his medical clinics, BIELECKI was actually present in New York. Indeed, on and around the date of the explosion in Beirut in which BIELECKI told victims he was injured, BIELECKI made several purchases at coffee shops, restaurants, and other businesses in New York, New York.

BIELECKI has caused victims of his fraud scheme to send him donations through various means. Between approximately 2016 and 2019, BIELECKI directed victims from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Georgia, and Florida, among other locations, to send checks to the Province with "Fr. Paul Bielecki's Mission" or a similar endorsement in the memo line. From at least April 2021, BIELECKI directed victims to send donations by mail to "St. Francis in Beirut Inc."-a non-profit entity established in or about March 2021-at the address of a particular Capuchin Order friary in New York, New York, where BIELECKI resides. At various times during the fraudulent scheme, BIELECKI also obtained donations through crowdfunding websites and directly provided his bank account and Zell payment information to victims via email and other means of communication.

Despite his vow of poverty, BIELECKI maintained multiple credit or debit card accounts and multiple bank accounts. Dozens of victims have cumulatively provided BIELECKI with at least hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations as a result of BIELECKI's fraudulent misrepresentations. Between approximately December 2017 and approximately February 2024, BIELECKI withdrew almost $50,000 in cash from his bank accounts; transferred more than $600,000 to two credit card companies to pay for personal expenses, including spending up to $334.40 per month for a membership at a luxury gym chain, and paying for multiple trips to the Hamptons and numerous meals at high-end restaurants; spent thousands of dollars on an aesthetic plastic surgery procedure at a liposuction clinic; and paid for numerous other personal expenses through debit card payments and other means.

There may be more victims of this alleged conduct. If you have information to report, contact Special Agent Sean Smyth, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, at (914) 993-1900 or by following the instructions available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/report-crime.

* * *

BIELECKI, 48, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud, each of which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Division. Mr. Williams also thanked the New York Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their assistance in the investigation.

This case is being handled by the Office's White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Levander and Ryan W. Allison are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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