Buonomo Indicted for Alleged Theft of Public Money
– Allison Goldsberry
Former Middlesex County Register of Probate John Buonomo has been indicted in connection with his alleged theft of public money, Middlesex County District Attorney Gerry Leone announced Tuesday.
Buonomo, 56, of Newton, was indicted Tuesday by a Middlesex County Grand Jury on charges of breaking and entering into a depository with intent to commit a larceny (12 counts), theft of public property by a city/town/county officer (eight counts), and larceny under $250 (eight counts).
According to DA Leone, Buonomo is accused of repeatedly stealing cash from copy machines and money machines in the Office of the Register of Deeds during June, July, and August. A video camera caught Buonomo in the act numerous times during those months.
“It is highly troubling that a public official would engage in the kind of brazen theft of public monies that we allege here. We believe that Mr. Buonomo violated the public’s trust by regularly accessing these cash machines without authority and stealing taxpayer money. I want to thank the Secretary of State’s Office, the Registry of Deeds, the Trial Court, and the Chief Justice for Administration and Management for their cooperation during this investigation. I also want to commend the members of the Massachusetts State Police in our PACT Unit for their comprehensive investigation – and that investigation continues,” said District Attorney Leone in a statement in August.
The Middlesex County DA’s PACT Unit launched an investigation in June when the Registry of Deeds noticed monthly shortages in receipts from their copy machines that are estimated to be up to as much as thousands of dollars.
Prosecutors say surveillance video caught Buonomo pocketing cash for himself on at least eight different occasions. According to the Registry of Deeds, Buonomo, a county-wide elected official, has no authority to access the cash machines or copy machines on the Registry of Deeds side of the building nor does he have the authority to remove money from the machines.
After Buonomo’s initial arraignment in August he was released on his personal recognizance based on the condition that he stay away the building of the Registry of Deeds and the Probate Office.
An arraignment date following his indictment has not yet been set.
If convicted, Buonomo faces up to twenty years in prison.
The case is being investigated by the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s PACT Unit and is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney John Verner, Chief of the PACT Unit.
According to a biography on the Probate Court’s website– a site in which Buonomo says he is paying for personally- he was first elected Register of Probate in 2000 to finish an unexpired term and was then re-elected in 2002 to a full 6-year term. Buonomo has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Northeastern and has been a public official for twenty-two years, including five years as County Administrator and more than a decade on Somerville’s School Committee and Board of Alderman.
Buonomo resigned just before the September 16 primary election for his seat. Medford resident Tara DeChristofaro will be the Democratic candidate for Middlesex County Register of Probate for the November 4 election.