By N. Ugoh
New York, August 18, 2024—Father Pawel Bielecki, a Capuchin friar based in New York, has been arrested on charges of orchestrating a fraudulent scheme that defrauded donors of more than $1 million. The scandal came to light on August 17 when federal authorities took Bielecki into custody.
According to judicial documents, the 48-year-old friar began his elaborate deception in 2015, assuming false identities and titles to gain the trust of his victims. Bielecki falsely claimed to be both a doctor and a member of European royalty, using aliases such as “Paul SAR Saxe-Coburg-Gotha” and “Dr. Phaakon Sonderburg-Glucksburg.” These fabricated personas allowed him to convince donors to contribute large sums of money to what he described as medical clinics in war-torn Beirut, Lebanon. However, these clinics were entirely fictional.
Bielecki’s scheme was sophisticated and far-reaching. He even appeared on radio programs, falsely claiming to be calling from Lebanon to further persuade potential donors. In reality, he was operating from New York.
The Capuchin Province of St. Mary, to which Bielecki belonged, expressed deep shock at the revelation. Father Robert Abbatiello, the Order’s Provincial Superior, stated that the Province had initially harbored no suspicions about Bielecki, who joined the Capuchins at 18 in his native Poland and relocated to New York in 2011 for further studies. However, an internal investigation was launched after discrepancies in his employment and academic claims began to surface. The investigation ultimately uncovered the extent of Bielecki’s fraudulent activities.
Bielecki’s scheme was sophisticated and far-reaching. He even appeared on radio programs, falsely claiming to be calling from Lebanon to further persuade potential donors. In reality, he was operating from New York.
The Capuchin Province of St. Mary, to which Bielecki belonged, expressed deep shock at the revelation. Father Robert Abbatiello, the Order’s Provincial Superior, stated that the Province had initially harbored no suspicions about Bielecki, who joined the Capuchins at 18 in his native Poland and relocated to New York in 2011 for further studies. However, an internal investigation was launched after discrepancies in his employment and academic claims began to surface. The investigation ultimately uncovered the extent of Bielecki’s fraudulent activities.
