A Franciscan priest in New York, USA, is accused of spending tens of thousands of dollars he raised by claiming to run a clinic in the Lebanese capital Beirut on plastic surgery, luxury restaurants and trips to the Hamptons, famous for its summer houses.
Pawel 'Paul' Bielecki has been indicted for spending $650,000 he raised through donations over nine years in this way. Father Paul faces 40 years in prison if convicted.
According to the indictment by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, Bielecki is accused of “committing internet and mail fraud” by claiming to be a doctor who ran clinics in Beirut between 2015 and 2024. Bielecki, who claimed to have multiple doctoral degrees and to run two clinics in Lebanon, collected donations on local radio stations and websites for hospitals and ambulances that did not exist.
He was visiting cafes and restaurants when he said “I was wounded”
According to the indictment, the priest also used the massive chemical explosion in Beirut in 2020, which killed 218 people, as a scam, claiming that he had been injured and that his clinic had been damaged.
According to the indictment, he also spent money on his credit card at numerous cafes and restaurants in New York City while claiming to have been injured.
According to the indictment, the 48-year-old priest put more than $600,000 of the money he collected on two credit cards to cover personal expenses. The expenses included meals at the most luxurious restaurants, a $334 monthly gym membership and trips to the Hamptons.The priest also wired $50,000 to his own bank account and spent another $15,000 on plastic surgery.
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DailyMail
