Santacon Organizer Arrested As The Feds Label Popular Holiday Event A ‘con’

A celebrated SantaCon kindness fundraiser that floods New York City pinch thousands of inebriated young group successful reddish and achromatic Santa costumes each vacation play was existent to its name: a con, national authorities say.

Its organizer, Stefan Pildes, 50, of Hewitt, New Jersey, was arrested Wednesday aft being indicted connected ligament fraud charges successful Manhattan national court.

Federal authorities said he donated only a mini fraction of nan $2.7 cardinal he raised done SantaCon kindness events from 2019 to 2024.

The contented featured a ticketed barroom crawl done metropolis streets each December that has attracted complete 25,000 group dressed arsenic holiday-themed characters.

A connection seeking remark was sent to an lawyer for Pildes. The suspect was group to make an first quality earlier a magistrate judge Wednesday.

Authorities said he siphoned much than half of nan proceeds raised each twelvemonth to an entity he controlled truthful that he could finance individual needs, including renovations to a lakefront spot successful New Jersey, performance tickets, luxury vacations successful Hawaii and Las Vegas, royal meals and a luxury vehicle.

Pildes spent overmuch of nan money connected himself moreover though he claimed he received nary compensation from nan event, according to his indictment.

“No shaper received income from this event, this is simply a kindness event,” nan indictment alleges he wrote successful a March 2023 email to a imaginable venue.

“Stefan Pildes promoted SantaCon arsenic an arena grounded successful charitable giving, but alternatively of donating nan millions of dollars he raised, he ran his ain con game,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said.

“He took advantage of New Yorkers’ generous vacation tone to finance his manner done individual expenses, large and small. No matter really you dress it up, fraud is fraud. We are committed to protecting New Yorkers from those who utilization their enthusiasm and generosity.”

Pildes was president and controlled Participatory Safety Inc., nan nonprofit entity that organized SantaCon, authorities said.

The SantaCon Website described nan arena arsenic a “charitable, non-political, nonsensical Santa Claus convention,” according to nan indictment, which said Pildes solicited bars and restaurants to participate and donate 10% to 25% of their nutrient and beverage income to his kindness organization.