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Owner of Printing Company Also Indicted for Alleged Role in Scheme
WOBURN
– Today, a Middlesex Grand Jury returned indictments against John
Buonomo, the former Middlesex Register of Probate, in connection with
allegedly stealing funds from his campaign committee and using those
funds for his own personal use. Buonomo, age 57, of Newton, is charged
with Larceny Over $250 (2 counts), Personal Use of Campaign Funds (2
counts), and Willfully Misleading Investigators. Also indicted today
for his role in the alleged scheme was Marc Piro, age 46, of
Wilmington. Piro is charged with Larceny Over $250, Personal Use of
Campaign Funds, and Willfully Misleading Investigators. Piro is the
owner of Guy T. Piro Printing ("Piro Printing"), located in Somerville.
In April 2008, the Office of Campaign and Political Finance
(OCPF) began an initial investigation into suspected violations of
campaign finance laws by Buonomo. In November 2008, OCPF referred the
matter to the Attorney General's Office for further investigation.
Authorities believe that on various dates between December 2004 and
July 2008, Buonomo withdrew funds from the Committee to Elect John
Buonomo for his personal use. Buonomo allegedly stole these funds using
two methods. First, investigators discovered that Buonomo allegedly
wrote checks to himself from the Committee's account, falsely stating
on the checks that he was reimbursing himself for postage he had bought
with cash. Second, investigators discovered that Buonomo also allegedly
stole funds from his campaign account by writing checks from the
Committee to Piro Printing for fictitious print jobs. Authorities
believe that Buonomo wanted to make it appear as though the printing
company was printing materials for the campaign, when in actuality
these services were never rendered. Investigators discovered that after
receiving the money from the Committee, Piro would allegedly refund the
funds back to Buonomo immediately, minus approximately $500 for each
transaction. Authorities believe that Piro also allegedly participated
in the creation of fake invoices for these transactions, so that it
would appear as if Buonomo had indeed used the company's printing
services. All of these fake invoices were created on the same day, and
were entered into Piro's accounting system in an effort to make the
transactions appear legitimate.
During the course of their
initial investigation, OCPF found that Buonomo allegedly submitted to
OCPF forged and altered bank records, forged and altered printing
invoices, as well as false written statements he had obtained from
postal employees. Investigators believe this was an effort by Buonomo
to mislead OCPF and to justify the taking of funds from his Committee.
Investigators from OCPF and the Attorney General's Office believe that
Buonomo stole approximately $100,000 from the Committee.
A
Middlesex Grand Jury returned indictments against Buonomo and Piro
today. Both men will be arraigned at a later date in Middlesex Superior
Court.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney
General Marc Jones of Attorney General Martha Coakley's Corruption and
Fraud Division, with assistance from Financial Investigator Jessie
Julian Dean and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Attorney
General's Office. Sarah Hartry, Legal Counsel for the Office of
Campaign and Political Finance also investigated and assisted with this
case.
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