Priest Arrested For Using Church Funds On Candy Crush And Other Mobile Games
There have been plenty of church scandals over the decades, but this might be the very first one that involves Candy Crush. Via The Philadelphia Inquirer, Reverend Lawrence Kozak was arrested in Pottstown, Pennsylvania on April 25 and charged with stealing over $40,000 in funds from his former parish, St. Thomas More Church. According to the report, Kozak’s vice of choice was mobile gaming, especially Candy Crush and Mario Kart.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia removed Kozak from his parish in November 2022 after an internal investigation determined that he spent “an astronomical amount of Apple transactions” on the church’s credit card. The charges span from September 2019 to July 2022. Kozak is also said to have used church funds to buy gifts for his goddaughter.
Kozak reportedly told investigators in 2022 that the money was used to “power up” and give him an advantage while playing his mobile games. Kozak added that he was “seeking counseling for his addiction,” and he denied intentionally using church funds for his games. Instead, Kozak says that the charges to the church’s credit cards happened because they were already linked to his cell phone.
The Philadelphia Inquirer states that financial records show that Kozak repaid $10,000 to the parish credit card account from his personal funds. The story also says that Kozak mailed an $8,000 check to his former parish after he had been removed from his post. Along with the check, Kozak wrote a note of apology to his successor at St. Thomas More, and he mentioned his attempts to repay the church.
Kozak is currently free on bail, and his attorney told The Philadelphia Inquirer that “he was reviewing the charges and planned to contact prosecutors about the case in the coming days.”
Deadpool & Wolverine Director Says Sequel Doesn’t Need Any Prior MCU Knowledge
Following the launch of original Marvel series on Disney+ in 2021, there have been more than a few fans complaining about the number of MCU shows to stay on top of, in addition to multiple movies per year. However, there’s only one Marvel Studios movie in 2024: Deadpool & Wolverine. And according to director Shawn Levy, you won’t need to watch any previous MCU show or movie to enjoy the sequel.
“I was a good student in school,” related Levy during an interview with the Associated Press. “I’ll do my homework as an adult. But I am definitely not looking to do homework when I go to the movies. I very much made this film with certainly a healthy respect and gratitude towards the rabid fan base that has peak fluency in the mythology and lore of these characters and this world. But I didn’t want to presume that. This movie is built for entertainment, with no obligation to come prepared with prior research.”
Ironically, the Time Variance Authority from Loki will be used in this film to explain how Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool gets a new mission in the MCU multiverse, as well as the introduction of a previously unseen incarnation of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Presumably Levy means that Deadpool & Wolverine will adequately explain the TVA without the need to touch on anything that happened in Loki.
While the film itself may be largely free of MCU lore, the callbacks to the previous X-Men movies were readily appearance in the most recent trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine. Lady Deathstrike and other previous X-Men movie villains appear to be working with the movie’s primary antagonist: Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin).
Deadpool & Wolverine will hit theaters on Friday, July 26.
Knuckles Showrunner Teases More Sonic The Hedgehog TV Spin-Offs
2024 is shaping up to be a big year for the live-action Sonic The Hedgehog franchise. The Knuckles miniseries premiered on Paramount+ earlier this week, and Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is coming to theaters during the Christmas season. However, that may be far from the end of the road for Sega’s iconic characters. During an interview with GamesRadar+, Knuckles showrunner and executive producer Toby Ascher hinted at more Sonic spin-offs to come.
“We have a really good plan for the future of Sonic,” said Ascher. “As we grow these characters, what television has provided us with Knuckles is a moment to do a deep-dive character study into them. As we find stories we’re excited about, we’re going to hopefully continue to do this again.”
GamesRadar+ speculates that Shadow the Hedgehog may be the character next in line for a show. And Shadow is the logical pick. His live-action debut already happened in the mid-credits scene for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Shadow is slated to have a major role in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Keanu Reeves will provide the voice of Shadow in the upcoming film.
Beyond Shadow, there aren’t too many obvious choices for additional Sonic spin-off shows. Perhaps Rouge the Bat, Amy Rose, Blaze the Cat, or even Metal Sonic have solo potential. But we may have to wait a few years before any of those characters are introduced in the live-action franchise.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 will hit theaters on Friday, December 20. Knuckles is now streaming on Paramount+.
