Thomas F. Clasby Jr., the former head of Quincy’s Department of Elder Services, was back in federal court Thursday, where a judge set a change-of-plea hearing in the case accusing him of skimming taxpayer money that was supposed to support the city’s seniors. The quick courtroom appearance effectively rebooted a case first unveiled in January 2025, when federal prosecutors said an indictment laid out years of questionable city purchases and unaccounted-for cash tied to the Kennedy Center senior facility.
What prosecutors say
According to federal prosecutors, Clasby was indicted in January 2025 on charges of embezzlement, mail and wire fraud, and interstate transportation of stolen property. Starting in 2019, they say, he tapped into the city’s purchasing system to cover personal expenses. The indictment lists about $8,950 for studio recordings, $2,236 for 153 pounds of bourbon steak tips, $4,800 toward a Toyota Prius, and $1,658 for a lacquered, framed self-portrait, and also claims he siphoned off cash receipts at Quincy’s Kennedy Center. Prosecutors called the alleged conduct “an affront to the seniors he was sworn to serve,” according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Plea talks and court timeline
By October, lawyers on both sides told the court they were working on a possible plea agreement. Prosecutors signaled it could involve 12 to 18 months in prison and about $150,000 in restitution, a figure the defense has pushed back on. A formal change-of-plea hearing is now on the calendar, according to The Patriot Ledger.
Local reaction and what comes next
Clasby was first removed from day-to-day duties in April 2024, then fired as the investigation widened, according to reporting that he was placed on leave amid a policy probe. He initially pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. Quincy Mayor Tom Koch said the case “showed unequivocally that this kind of breach of the public’s trust will never be tolerated,” per WCVB. For now, the matter remains in federal court, with both sides preparing for the scheduled change-of-plea hearing.
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