A Manhattan-based Franciscan friar, Paul Bielecki, also known as “Paul HRH Saxe-Coburg-Gotha,” was sentenced to five years in prison for running a fraudulent scheme to solicit donations for a deceptive medical charity ostensibly based in Beirut, Lebanon. This was announced by Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Bielecki had previously pled guilty to wire fraud in November 2024 in front of U.S. District Judge Vincent Briccetti, who issued the sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky stated, “Paul Bielecki exploited his position as a friar to defraud hundreds of innocent victims. He faked a charity to rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars, and then used these stolen funds to live the high life. But Bielecki’s days of luxury and lies are over. Let today’s sentence be a lesson to all — if you abuse your position of trust to take advantage of others, you will be held accountable.”
According to legal documents and courtroom statements, Bielecki, part of the Capuchin Order based in a New York City friary, orchestrated a long-running fraudulent scheme. This involved falsely raising funds, claiming he managed two medical clinics in Lebanon and was collecting money for essential supplies and medical facilities. He misled victims further by pretending to be a qualified physician and falsely claiming to have been among the injured in the 2020 Beirut explosion.
Bielecki solicited donations through various means, including church events, radio shows, podcasts, and crowdfunding campaigns, extracting more than $560,000 from over 350 victims. Despite his vow of poverty, Bielecki used the fraudulently acquired funds for personal extravagances such as first-class travel, luxury gym memberships, and lavish dining experiences.
For those who consider themselves victims of Bielecki’s fraud, contact may be made with Special Agent Sean Smyth at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York via the provided phone number or by following online instructions.
Besides his prison term, Bielecki, aged 48, from New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, a forfeiture of $563,448, and restitution payments. Acting U.S. Attorney Podolsky commended the investigative efforts of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Division, and acknowledged the New York Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their assistance. The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Levander and Ryan W. Allison leading the prosecution.
