Pildes Indicted for SantaCon Con Needs Extra Week to Pledge Jersey Home for Bond

Pildes Indicted for SantaCon Con Needs Extra Week to Pledge Jersey Home for Bond by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack SDNY COURTHOUSE, April 28 –  The head of New York's SantaCon, Stefan Pildes, has been indict for fraud. On April 28 he was before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Senior Judge Colleen McMahon. Inner City Press was there: Defense: Your Honor is obviously aware of the event Judge McMahon: Hard not to, being in New York. I stay home to avoid it. Defense: Some like it. We can come back once we get discovery- Judge McMahon: In September.  Defense: His wife and mother have signed the bond. But he is supposed to pledge his home in Passaic, New Jersey to secure the bond. We need a week. Judge McMahon: Take it. Assistant US Attorney: We are discussing a protective order.  Judge: What's to protect? Whose secrets are we protecting here? AUSA: The victims'. Judge: OK. September 15, 2 pm. See you then  The prosecutors say "PILDES defrauded the Attendees and Venues.  SantaCon events from 2019 to 2024 generated approximately $2.7 million in proceeds, including over $2 million in ticket sales and over $675,000 in charitable commissions from Venues.  PILDES donated only a small fraction of the millions of dollars he raised for charity. PILDES spent SantaCon proceeds on extensive renovations to a lakefront property in New Jersey, concert tickets, luxury vacations, extravagant meals, and a luxury vehicle." The case is USA v. Pildes, 1:26-cr-142 (McMahon) *** Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron. Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com Mail: Box 130222, Chinatown Station, NY NY 10013 Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.  Copyright 2006-2026 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com