The priest spent church money on Mario Kart and Candy Crush

Perhaps he thought it was a quick way to get to God in a fast car. Mario Kart or perhaps he wanted to while away the weary hours when he did not have to say Mass by playing candiesbut the truth is that this priest is having a hard time for his sins.

The Rev. Lawrence Kozak, 51, was charged with theft and other related crimes for allegedly using a church credit card to spend $41,879.83 on mobile games between September 2019 and July 2022, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer (via Kotaku).

Investigators say the spending came to light in 2022 when an accountant working for a church in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, discovered an “astronomical number of Apple transactions” on the parish’s credit card statements during a financial analysis. The Apple ID appears to have been registered to Kozak. Church funds were also used to purchase items using an Amazon account registered in Kozak’s name, including a fireplace table and a baby backpack for his goddaughter.

Kozak’s favorite games were Candy Crush, Mario Kart Tour, Pokémon Go and Cash Frenzy, as well as various slot machines and hidden object games. Records show he actually made payments totaling $10,600 from a personal bank account to a church credit card balance.

Kozak was placed on administrative leave by the church in November 2022. His deputy at St. Thomas More Parish told police in 2023 that he received a letter from Kozak containing a check for $8,000 to “reimburse expenses from the parish.” The handwritten letter said: “I am very sorry that I made this mistake that caused you stress.”

Now the former St. Thomas parish priest has admitted that the problem was that his personal credit card was grouped on the same iPhone as his church credit card, which could have caused him confusion when making payments.

This Thursday, the court decided to release him after posting bail in the amount of 250 thousand dollars.