The president of SantaCon, the popular New York City holiday pub crawl where thousands dress as Santa Claus, has been charged with wire fraud for allegedly stealing over $1 million from the event's charity funds.
Prosecutors from the Southern District of New York claim that Stefan Pildes, 50, diverted more than half of the $2.7 million raised through SantaCon to a personal "slush fund." According to court documents, Pildes used the money to finance a lavish lifestyle, including luxury vacations, fine dining, and home renovations.
"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," said US Attorney Jay Clayton in a statement. "He took advantage of New Yorkers' generous holiday spirit to finance his lifestyle through personal expenses, big and small."
Prosecutors allege that Pildes spent $365,000 renovating 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. Only a small fraction of the total funds raised actually went to charity.
SantaCon, which attracts around 25,000 attendees each December, was advertised as a charity fundraiser. Pildes now faces one count of wire fraud, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years. An attorney for Pildes has not yet been named in court documents.
The charges allege that Pildes defrauded tens of thousands of participants and small business owners from 2019 through April 2026.