Brooklyn, NY – The Archdiocese of New York has taken decisive action against Father Pawel Bielecki, 48, dubbed “Friar Tummy Tuck” by local media. The priest has been stripped of his “priestly faculties”, and can no longer function as a clergyman following allegations that he misappropriated over $650,000 in charity donations to fund plastic surgery and an extravagant lifestyle that included trips to the Hamptons, eating out, and designer clothing.
Father Bielecki, once a respected Catholic cleric, is accused of diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars meant for charitable causes into his personal accounts, using multiple aliases, and also falsely claiming to be a surgeon.
According to sources close to the investigation, the priest used these funds to finance: Multiple plastic surgery procedures, including a tummy tuck, multiple plastic surgery procedures, including a tummy tuck, high-end dining experiences, designer clothing and accessories
A spokesperson for the Archdiocese stated, “We are deeply saddened and disturbed by Father Bielecki’s actions. Such behavior is entirely incompatible with the values and ethics of our faith and the sacred duty of a priest.”
Bielecki raised the funds for “overseas medical clinics in Lebanon” and claimed to act as a surgeon to villages in the area. The only problem was, he never left Manhattan.
He even claimed to have been injured the 2020 chemical explosion in Beirut that killed 218 people. It turns out he only exploited the tragedy for financial gain. An investigation found he was in Manhattan during the date in question, going out to eat and buying incidentals like, coffee.
For almost a decade, he solicited funds via radio shows and crowdfunding. A detailed examination of his financial activities between December 2017 and February 2024 reveals a pattern of lavish spending that stands in contrast to his vows of modest living. More than $600,000 was transferred to two credit card companies to cover personal expenses, including:
- Numerous meals at high-end restaurants
- A monthly payment of $334 for a luxury gym membership
- Frequent trips to the Hamptons, a popular upscale vacation destination.
In what authorities described as a “cardinal sin of vanity,” Father Bielecki spent at least $15,000 of the funds on liposuction surgery.
In just one instance among many, Bielecki took advantage of a good-willed Pennsylvania husband and wife, telling couple: “Doctors are being taken along the Syrian border. I was supposed to have had four physicians with me but they are in jail now.”
They transferred $84,000 to Bielecki over a time period of three years. Bielecki told them he was buying an ambulance that would allow him to travel to villages giving medical assistance in Lebanon.
After the woman wired another $10,000 towards the mission, he emailed her back, saying: “God is great. The ambulance is OK to go . . . I already did a few villages with medical help. People were crying . . . God bless you both every day . . . every minute — Love Fr. Paul.”
In reality, he had went to a liposuction clinic in NYC for a body contouring examination to schedule an appointment for an upcoming procedure. The following week he also went on a shopping spree.
Ralph Succar, 66, a Brooklyn community leader who helped raise thousands was shocked, saying:
“We were taken. What he did was absolutely wrong and he should be exposed. He was a very peaceful, soft-spoken person who came with a mission that he wanted to do this for the children of the Middle East and I was basically pushing everyone to donate. And some of us, some individuals, donated $1,000 to $2,000 each.”
The decision to strip Father Bielecki of his priestly faculties effectively bars him from performing any priestly duties, including celebrating Mass, hearing confessions, or administering other sacraments.
Mollie Fullington, a spokesperson for The Province of St. Mary of the Capuchin Order, headquartered in White Plains, NY said:
“His ordination gives him the ability to function as a priest and perform the sacraments, but removing his faculties takes away his permission to perform priestly ministry. He cannot hear confessions. He cannot perform baptisms or funerals or weddings, and cannot engage in counseling or spiritual direction. At this point, he is still a priest, but he cannot perform these functions,” Fullington continued
Financial experts are combing through years of donation records to determine the full extent of the fraud and to trace where the money went. The investigation is also seeking to understand how such a significant amount of money could be misappropriated without earlier detection.
Damian Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York collared the clergyman on August 17th with charges of wire and mail fraud:
“Bielecki exploited his position as a friar to gain the trust of victims across the country and steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from them.”
The revelation has sent shockwaves through the local Catholic community. Many parishioners and members who had donated to what they believed were worthy causes now feel betrayed and disillusioned.
Mary Thompson, a long-time member of Father Bielecki’s former parish, expressed her dismay:
“We trusted him. We gave what we could, thinking we were helping those in need. To find out it was funding his lifestyle… it’s heartbreaking.“
The Archdiocese has announced plans to review and strengthen its financial monitoring procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future. They have also pledged to work closely with affected parishes to rebuild trust and ensure transparency in all financial matters.
Bielecki, has been charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud. The maximum sentence, if found guilty, is up to 20 years in prison.
