Franciscan Friar Who Defrauded Donors Admits To Con: DOJ

WHITE PLAINS, NY — A Franciscan friar who went by several aliases, including "Dr. Phaakon Sonderburg-Glucksburg," "Paul HRH Saxe-Coburg-Gotha," and "Father Paul," pled guilty to wire fraud related to donations he sought for a fake medical charity in Beirut, Lebanon, but instead used the money to fund a secret lavish lifestyle with Hamptons getaways and cosmetic surgeries.

Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Pawel Bielecki pled guilty last week before U.S. District Judge Vincent Briccetti to one count of wire fraud for his multi-year scheme, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison.

Bielecki is a friar in the Capuchin Order, a Catholic order of priests and brothers. He is a brother in a Province based in White Plains, which operates friaries in, among other places, New York City.

To become a Capuchin friar, Bielecki took a vow of poverty that requires him to renounce and to not hold any property or bank accounts in his name for his personal benefit. The Province provides friars, including Bielecki, with a monthly stipend of approximately $250 for personal expenses, as well as a credit card, paid for by the Province, for friary-related expenses, but prosecutors say this monk wanted much more than that.

"This case serves as a stark reminder that fraudsters can exploit even the most noble causes for personal gain," Williams said. "Pawel Bielecki's deceptive actions not only robbed individuals of their hard-earned money but also undermined the spirit of generosity that drives charitable giving. This Office is committed to holding accountable those who take advantage of well-meaning donors and will continue to work tirelessly to protect the integrity of charitable organizations in our communities."

According to court documents, Bielecki engaged in a scheme related to fake medical clinics he claimed to operate in Lebanon, prosecutors allege. Through appearances and advertisements on radio programs and online podcasts, as well as various other media, including campaigns on various crowdfunding websites, Bielecki has fraudulently solicited and obtained donations from victims by claiming to run medical clinics in Beirut, Lebanon, when in fact, he was keeping victims' donations for his personal use.

From June 2015 through December 2023, Bielecki repeatedly appeared as a guest or through advertisements on the same local New York radio show. During these appearances and advertisements, the disgraced friar repeatedly represented that he was a Catholic priest and physician living in Lebanon and running medical clinics there, with the goal of assisting Christians living in the Middle East, according to court filings. He also made similar appearances on other radio programs and electronic media.

In these radio and media appearances, prosecutors say Bielecki falsely represented that he is a physician, vascular surgeon, cardiac surgeon, and/or general surgeon, and he has also earned multiple Ph.D. degrees. The DOJ said Bielecki misrepresented running two medical clinics in Lebanon and raising money for medicine, medical equipment, baby incubators, food, and an ambulance for his clinics in Lebanon.

In one case, at the time of a recording for broadcast, Bielecki claimed to be in Lebanon, that he was badly injured and his clinics were badly damaged by a widely reported August 2020 explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, but prosecutors say this was a fictional story used to get donations.

Court records paint a much different story.

Bielecki is not a physician or surgeon of any kind. He has not earned multiple Ph.D. degrees, and he does not operate any medical clinics in Lebanon. Travel records show that Bielecki was in the U.S. continuously from in or around December 2019 through April 2022, and on specific dates when he claimed during media appearances to be in Lebanon working on behalf of his medical clinics, Bielecki was actually in New York.

On the date of the explosion in Beirut in which Bielecki said he was injured, he made several purchases at coffee shops, restaurants, and other businesses in New York.

Despite his vow of poverty, prosecutors say Bielecki maintained multiple credit or debit card accounts and multiple bank accounts. Dozens of victims have cumulatively provided Bielecki with at least hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations as a result of his fraudulent misrepresentations, according to prosectors.

Prosecutors say the fraud funded a lavish lifestyle.

Between December 2017 and February 2024, Bielecki withdrew almost $50,000 in cash from his bank accounts; transferred more than $600,000 to two credit card companies to pay for personal expenses, including up to $334.40 per month for a membership at a luxury gym chain, multiple trips to the Hamptons and meals at high-end restaurants, and an aesthetic plastic surgery procedure at a liposuction clinic.

The Province conducted an internal investigation of Bielecki’s fraudulent scheme, referred the matter to law enforcement, and has since provided assistance in the investigation.

If you believe you are a victim of fraud perpetrated by Bielecki, you are urged to contact Special Agent Sean Smyth, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at (914) 993‑1900 or by following the instructions online.

Williams praised the investigative work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and of the Internal Revenue Service — Criminal Division. He also thanked the New York Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their assistance in the investigation.

This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Levander and Ryan W. Allison are in charge of the prosecution.