NEW YORK CITY — A Franciscan friar, Pawel ‘Paul’ Bielecki, 48, has been accused of being a conman after allegedly misusing $650,000 on personal expenses, including plastic surgery and trips to the Hamptons, while claiming to aid injured individuals in Lebanon.
Bielecki has been charged with wire and mail fraud by the US Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York for allegedly deceiving victims by falsely presenting himself as a medical doctor operating clinics in Beirut, Lebanon. The complaint details how he transferred more than $600,000 to credit card companies for personal expenses, which included a $334-a-month gym membership, multiple trips to the Hamptons, and high-end dining.
Additionally, he allegedly transferred $50,000 to his personal bank accounts and spent $15,000 on plastic surgery. Bielecki raised these funds through donations between 2015 and 2024, claiming to be a surgeon with multiple PhDs managing two medical clinics in Lebanon.
The friar exploited the 2020 chemical explosion in Beirut, which killed 218 people, claiming he was injured and that his clinic was severely damaged. The Southern District of New York found that Bielecki left the US between December 2019 and April 2022, and during this time, while claiming to be injured, he was spotted making purchases at coffee shops and restaurants in New York City.
“As alleged, Pawel 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,” said US Attorney Damian Williams. “Bielecki is now facing federal charges for allegedly illegally profiteering from the trust his victims placed in him.”
Having taken a vow of poverty when he joined the Capuchin Order, a religious organization based in White Plains, Bielecki agreed not to hold property or bank accounts for personal benefit. The friary provided its members with $250 a month for personal expenses and a credit card for work-related costs.
Between 2016 and 2019, donors from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Georgia, and Florida were instructed to send donations as checks with the memo line reading: “Fr. Paul Bielecki’s Mission.” From April 2021 onward, donations were directed to “St. Francis in Beirut Inc.,” a nonprofit established in March 2021 at the Capuchin Order’s NYC friary.
He also raised $78,000 through crowdfunding sources and received donations via Zelle payments, according to the complaint. In December 2021, Bielecki emailed a donor from Pennsylvania, wishing them a happy holiday season, and shortly after, informed them of his plans to purchase an ambulance to provide medical assistance in remote villages.
After receiving a $10,000 deposit for the ambulance, he Googled “laser-assisted liposuction” and scheduled a $15,000 plastic surgery procedure a few days later.
Bielecki’s fraudulent activities came to light when Father Robert Abbatiello reported him for suspicious behavior to the US Attorney’s Office in August 2023. Abbatiello stated, “Until recently, there was no reason to suspect the veracity of his credentials,” adding that the province conducted a thorough internal investigation revealing that Bielecki was not who he claimed to be.
“The friars are offended and scandalized by Father Paul’s betrayal of our trust and those of the other people he deceived,” he said.
If convicted, Bielecki faces up to 40 years in prison. He joined the Capuchin Franciscans in Krakow in 1994, and some of his constituents in New York were shocked to learn of the allegations against him.