SantaCon organiser charged with stealing $1m from charity pub crawl

Stefan Pildes, the president of New York City's SantaCon, has been charged with wire fraud by federal prosecutors. The charges allege that Pildes diverted over $1 million raised through the annual charity pub crawl for personal use. Prosecutors claim that Pildes advertised SantaCon as a charitable event but instead used the funds for expenses such as concert tickets, luxury vacations, and home renovations. Of the $2.7 million raised, more than half was allegedly diverted to a "slush fund." SantaCon is a ticketed event held in December where approximately 25,000 participants dress as Santa Claus and other holiday characters.

Stefan Pildes, the organizer of New York City's SantaCon charity fundraiser, was arrested and charged with wire fraud. Federal authorities allege that Pildes donated only a small portion of the $2.7 million raised from 2019 to 2024 to charity. Instead, he allegedly diverted over half of the proceeds each year to an entity he controlled. These funds were reportedly used for personal expenses, including home renovations, concert tickets, vacations, meals, and a luxury vehicle. Pildes was scheduled to appear in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday.