The president of SantaCon, an annual event in New York City in December where thousands of young people dress up as Santa Claus and drink across the city, has been charged with wire fraud. Prosecutors with the Southern District of New York say Stefan Pildes, 50, siphoned more than $1 million (£737,000) raised through the SantaCon charity for his own personal use. US Attorney Jay Clayton stated, 'Stefan Pildes promoted SantaCon as an event grounded in charitable giving, but instead of donating the millions of dollars he raised, he ran his own con game.' According to the charging documents, Pildes took advantage of New Yorkers' generous holiday spirit to finance his lifestyle through personal expenses, big and small.
An attorney for Pildes has not yet been named in court documents. SantaCon is a ticketed pub-crawl event, which is attended by around 25,000 people dressed as Santa Claus and other holiday characters. Pildes, who is from New Jersey, advertised the event as a charity fundraiser. However, prosecutors allege that of about $2.7 million (£1.989 million) raised from SantaCon, Pildes diverted more than half to a 'slush fund' for his personal ventures, using hundreds of thousands of dollars for 'concert tickets, fine dining, luxury vacations, and home renovations.'
Prosecutors allege that Pildes spent $365,000 to renovate a lakefront property in New Jersey, $124,000 on a luxury Manhattan apartment, and nearly $3,000 on a birthday dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Manhattan. Only a small fraction of the $2.7 million went to charity, according to court documents. Prosecutors claim that Pildes defrauded tens of thousands of individuals and small business owners who participated in the event from 2019 to April 2026. He faces one count of wire fraud, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
An attorney for Pildes has not yet been named in court documents. SantaCon is a ticketed pub-crawl event, which is attended by around 25,000 people dressed as Santa Claus and other holiday characters. Pildes, who is from New Jersey, advertised the event as a charity fundraiser. However, prosecutors allege that of about $2.7 million (£1.989 million) raised from SantaCon, Pildes diverted more than half to a 'slush fund' for his personal ventures, using hundreds of thousands of dollars for 'concert tickets, fine dining, luxury vacations, and home renovations.'
Prosecutors allege that Pildes spent $365,000 to renovate a lakefront property in New Jersey, $124,000 on a luxury Manhattan apartment, and nearly $3,000 on a birthday dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Manhattan. Only a small fraction of the $2.7 million went to charity, according to court documents. Prosecutors claim that Pildes defrauded tens of thousands of individuals and small business owners who participated in the event from 2019 to April 2026. He faces one count of wire fraud, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
