NJ Man Who Founded SantaCon Stole More Than $1M From Charity: Officials

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A Passaic County man who has organized the SantaCon in New York City for years is on the feds’ naughty list after he stole roughly $1 million in charity donations, officials said.

Stefan Pildes, 50, of Hewitt, faces several charges after investigators discovered he’d put more than half of the $2.7 million he raised from SantaCon into a slush fund, authorities said.

SantaCon is an annual bar crawl during which participants dress up as Santa Claus throughout Manhattan and use purchased tickets to gain access to exclusive venues. Prosecutors said the embezzlement took place from at least 2019 to 2026.

It was advertised to ticket purchasers that proceeds from the festival would go towards “various charities,” including the Children’s Heart Foundation, Clowns Without Borders, and the Secret Sandy Claus Project, which is committed to making sure children across NYC get toys for Christmas.

Instead, Pildes used more than half of the proceeds for renovations at a lakefront New Jersey property, a luxury car purchase, concert tickets, trips to Hawaii, Las Vegas, and Vail, as well as renting a luxury apartment, among other things, prosecutors said.

Investigators say Pildes’ actions defrauded the bar crawl’s attendees, venues, and associated charities.

“Pildes allegedly stole Christmas from tens of thousands of victims and deprived local charities of more than one million dollars,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “The FBI continues to root out scrooges that greedily exploit the goodwill of New Yorkers.”

Pildes pleaded not guilty to federal wire fraud charges on Wednesday. He was released on a $300,000 bond.

Anyone who believes they’ve been defrauded by Pildes and SantaCon can file a report with the FBI here.

With reporting from David Luces.