NEW YORK (AP) — The federal judge presiding over the fraud case against the organizer of New York City’s SantaCon bar crawl made it clear at the defendant's first appearance before her that she’s not a fan of the annual celebration.
Judge Colleen McMahon said each year she feels “assaulted by SantaCon” and must stay home on the day when “drunken kids who are wearing Santa costumes” crowd the city’s sidewalks.
McMahon made her observations as the event’s organizer, Stefan Pildes, appeared before her for the first time.
The 50-year-old Hewitt, New Jersey, resident was arrested a week ago and freed on bail.
His lawyer, Noam Biale, said in a statement that Pildes “did not defraud anyone.”
He added: "Every participant in SantaCon got exactly what they bargained for: mirth, merriment, and drunken debauchery. We look forward to advocating on Stefan’s behalf.”
Pildes did not comment as he left McMahon's Manhattan courtroom.
A prosecutor said the government would build its case on financial institution records, information from a ticketing company, and evidence collected from dozens of bars and restaurants that pledged to donate 10% to 25% of their sales during SantaCon to charity.
Prosecutors allege in the indictment that Pildes gave only a small portion of the $2.7 million raised from 2019 to 2024 to charity. They say he diverted more than half of the money he raised to finance various personal ventures and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars more on himself.
Pildes used money earmarked for charities on extensive renovations to a lakefront property in New Jersey, concert tickets, luxury vacations, extravagant meals and a luxury vehicle, prosecutors contend.
The event traces its origins to a 1994 flash mob-style event in San Francisco dubbed “Santarchy,” intended to mock Christmas consumerism. As the idea spread to cities nationwide, it moved away from its countercultural origins and became more of a mass bar crawl.
While some New York residents decry SantaCon for the chaos it brings to city streets and subways, others are amused by thousands of costumed merrymakers crowding Manhattan’s streets with numerous Saint Nicks, along with a few Mrs. Clauses, elves and the occasional Grinch.
Stefan Pildes walks outside of a courthouse in New York on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Stefan Pildes leaves a courthouse in New York on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Stefan Pildes walks outside of a courthouse in New York on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — World Cup host Vancouver is at risk of losing its Major League Soccer club to another city.
MLS said late Monday it “will evaluate all options” for the future of the Vancouver Whitecaps, including moving out of the city. The club was put on sale 16 months ago by an ownership group that includes former NBA star Steve Nash.
Uncertainty around the team is fueled by limited revenue options and a short-term lease at BC Place stadium that will host seven World Cup games in June and July, including Canada playing Qatar and Switzerland.
“It’s reaching a critical point,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Tuesday during a meeting with the Associated Press Sports Editors in New York.
Garber called the situation at BC Place untenable, citing strict schedule restrictions from the government entity that owns and operates the building and an inability to add premium seating.
British Columbia’s government said Tuesday it is working with the Whitecaps to help the team lower costs and generate more revenue at BC Place — but it won’t be buying the team to prevent it from moving cities.
Ravi Kahlon, B.C.’s minister of jobs and economic growth, said the team is now using the stadium at no cost, and any breaks that the team received this year could be extended for another year.
The Whitecaps and the provincial government — which owns BC Place through the provincial Crown corporation PavCo — signed a one-year lease earlier this year, which annually returns to the club about $1 million to 1.5 million that the province makes from hosting.
Kahlon, a longtime season-ticket holder, says the province has also helped the team generate more revenue from concession sales and advertising, adding that the province is open to exploring other revenue sources.
“If there are some genuine things that they need done to keep the team here, we want to see that happen,” he said.
Garber confirmed reports that Las Vegas could be an option if Vancouver relocates, saying a group from Las Vegas had submitted an application for an MLS team. He expressed hope the Whitecaps could find a way to remain in Vancouver and said expansion to Las Vegas could also be a possibility, but no decisions had been made. Las Vegas was not necessarily the only city being discussed.
FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani, who is from Vancouver, said last year losing an MLS club “on the back of the World Cup would be a capital crime, in my opinion.”
Fans holding “Save The Caps” placards protested on Saturday at the team’s last home game ahead of the stadium being taken over for the World Cup. The attendance was more than 27,000.
In a statement late Monday, the Whitecaps said it had “serious conversations with more than 100 parties and, to date, no viable offer has emerged that would keep the club here.”
“The club has faced well-documented structural challenges around stadium economics, venue access, and revenue limitations that have made it difficult to attract buyers committed to keeping the team in Vancouver."
A franchise fee that cost tens of millions of dollars to enter MLS 15 years ago is now likely worth hundreds of millions.
A team that features German great Thomas Müller reached the MLS Cup final last year, losing against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami 3-1.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Vancouver Whitecaps fans hold signs before an MLS soccer match against the Colorado Rapids in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Whitecaps' Cheikh Sabaly (7) celebrates after his goal against the Colorado Rapids with Thomas Muller (13) and Tate Johnson (28) during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Whitecaps fans hold signs before an MLS soccer match against the Colorado Rapids in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)
