Church Scandal Involving Candy Crush

It seems like there is a new twist in the realm of church scandals, as Candy Crush makes an unexpected appearance. Reverend Lawrence Kozak, from St. Thomas More Church in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, was arrested on April 25 for allegedly stealing over $40,000 in funds from his former parish.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia took action after an internal investigation revealed Kozak’s excessive spending on mobile games like Candy Crush and Mario Kart. The charges, amounting to an “astronomical amount of Apple transactions,” occurred between September 2019 and July 2022.

During questioning in 2022, Kozak claimed that he used the money to gain advantages in his games by “powering up.” He also mentioned seeking counseling for his gaming addiction and denied intentionally misusing church funds, stating that the church’s credit card was linked to his cell phone, leading to the charges.

Records show that Kozak repaid $10,000 to the parish credit card from his personal funds and sent an $8,000 check along with an apology note to his former parish after being removed from his position.

Currently out on bail, Kozak’s attorney stated that they were reviewing the charges and planned to reach out to prosecutors soon.