Former Buffalo Priest Christos Christakis Charged with Bank Fraud, Accused of Stealing $450K
BUFFALO – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced on May 12 that Christos Christakis, 57, of Cincinnati was charged by criminal complaint with bank fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
According to the complaint, in March 2007, Christakis was hired to be the Priest at the Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Annunciation (HOCA) in Buffalo, NY.
In 2011, Christakis inserted a provision into the HOCA by-laws, which resulted in Christakis having complete control over the Priest Discretionary Fund.
Similar to a petty cash account, the fund is intended to allow the priest to provide small direct assistance payments and financial support to those in need. The fund at HOCA was overseen by the Parish Council and was subject to limits on how much money could be in the discretionary account at any given time, usually less than $1,500.
In March 2025, a whistle-blower complaint was filed with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America about the financial irregularities occurring at HOCA, which prompted the Archdiocese to conduct an internal investigation into Christakis, during which he made admissions to using parish funds for his own personal benefit between 2018 and 2025.
Investigators analyzed the HOCA Priest Discretionary Fund. According to the complaint, between January 2018 and July 31, 2025, approximately 725 checks were deposited into the fund, of which only 11 were specifically designated for donation into the fund. At least one $7,000 check was written from the fund to pay Christakis’s personal American Express bill.
The investigation also included analysis of Christakis’s personal bank account held jointly with his spouse, along with Christakis’s children’s accounts. Cash deposits into these accounts were identified and compared to the amount and timing of cash withdrawals from the Priest Discretionary Fund. The analysis found approximately $338,660 of cash deposited into the joint account.
Christakis’ and his spouse’s known employment and lifestyle would not have generated this level of cash.
In addition, an analysis of Christakis’s spending levels and bank accounts was conducted, which compared the primary sources and uses of funds each year, excluding cash deposits.
The analysis revealed the non-cash sources of income were insufficient to support Christakis’s and his family’s lifestyle. Once cash deposits were added to their budget, the joint account was able to break even each year. Christakis is accused of stealing approximately $450,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Gestring. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice