Stefan Pildes

Stefan Pildes, 50, of Hewitt, New Jersey, is the president and organizer of SantaCon, an annual pub crawl event held in New York City where participants dress as Santa Claus. He has been arrested and charged with wire fraud by federal authorities in the Southern District of New York. The charges stem from allegations that Pildes siphoned over $1 million raised through SantaCon's charitable fundraising efforts for his personal use. Prosecutors allege that Pildes promoted SantaCon as a charity event but diverted funds meant for charitable purposes. His arrest and indictment have brought scrutiny to the financial practices of SantaCon and raised questions about the legitimacy of its charitable claims. Pildes is awaiting an appearance in Manhattan federal court.