Former Saugus selectman, Mark D. Mitchell, has pleaded guilty to 18 charges including forgery, larceny, improper campaign expenditures, false entries in corporate books, and publishing false or exaggerated statements. Mitchell, 53, was embroiled in an embezzlement plot that siphoned nearly $1.3 million from the Boston Center for Adult Education (BCAE), where he was comptroller, reports NBC Boston.
Mitchell wrote $896,537 in checks to himself, not to mention the $82,510 directed to the Saugus Wings, his own AAU baseball organization in Saugus, and $242,749 in checks for various unauthorized third-party organizations for his and his AAU team's personal benefits. It was also discovered by District Attorney Kevin Hayden's office that Mitchell wrote $73,540 in checks to a BCAE instructor, forged her signature, and transferred the money into his personal account as the WBZ NewsRadio article noted.
"This calculated theft struck at the heart of the BCAE’s ability to do, what it does so well, and has done for so long". Hayden pointed out the seriousness of Mitchell's actions, damaging public's confidence in their elected officials. The sentence handed down to Mitchell encompasses 18 months in jail and a three-year probation period following his release. Restitution is yet to be determined next month. The ex-selectman also pilfered campaign funds during his selectman campaigns according to the investigation.
Multiple external audits in the past failed to unearth Mitchell's deceitful actions. Adding complexity to this case, his two co-defendants, 70-year-old Susan Brown and 66-year-old Karen Kalfian, are scheduled for trial on October 10, offering deeper insight into the scheme's breadth and the level of collaboration involved.
Irrefutably, the trial's outcome will impact public trust in elected officials, not just in Saugus, but on a larger scale. It stays essential for communities to hold their leaders accountable and for organizations to enforce stricter oversight measures, regardless of who the individuals behind the abuse of authority are.
