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Dept of Correction Employee Arraigned for Alleged $100,000 Theft
Arraignment at 2:00 p.m. in Greenfield District Court
In
2007, the DOC Internal Affairs Division investigated allegations that a
member of their Special Operations Division had been improperly taking
equipment for personal use and was misrepresenting certain purchases as
legitimate DOC equipment purchases. After conducting their
investigation, the DOC referred the matter to the Attorney General’s
Office in March 2008.
Authorities discovered that Mendes allegedly purchased numerous items
from a law enforcement supplies distributor in
Investigators learned that between 2004 and 2008 Mendes, who was responsible for the purchase of ammunition, firearms, duty gear and certain other specialized equipment for the DOC, falsely reported the value, cost and quantity of equipment and ammunition that the DOC believed they had paid for or had in their possession, by misrepresenting invoices he had produced. Authorities allege that Mendes would knowingly submit invoices for more merchandise than he actually used or needed, and then would use the difference in value as credit to purchase items for himself. Mendes allegedly did this in order to create a credit balance with the law enforcement supplies distributor. By employing this scheme, Mendes allegedly caused the DOC to be improperly charged by the distributor for supplies that were never received by the DOC. Mendes allegedly then used this balance to purchase merchandise such as a baseball pitching machine, a motorcycle/ATV trailer, cameras, hunting equipment, firearms and other items. Authorities allege that the majority of the items received, purchased or obtained through this process were for Mendes’ personal use.
Today, Mendes was arraigned in Greenfield District Court where he entered a plea of not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. He is scheduled for a pre-trial conference on January 15, 2009, in Greenfield District Court.
The
case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Rick Grundy,
Chief of Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Criminal Bureau, and Dean
Mazzone, Chief of Attorney General Coakley’s
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Department
of Correction (DOC) was arraigned in Greenfield District Court in
connection with allegedly stealing approximately $100,000 in state
funds, firearms and other items from the DOC for his own personal use.
Gary Mendes, age 48, of