Northborough man pleads guilty to stealing $366K from nonprofit, feds say
WORCESTER — A Northborough man has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $360,000 from a Sturbridge nonprofit that helps people with mental and developmental disabilities, according to federal authorities.
Kyriakos "Rick" Kapiris, 36, pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Worcester to two counts of wire fraud and a single count of money laundering.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 14.
Kapiris was an IT manager at Venture Community Services in Sturbridge between April 2015 and May 2015.
According to the federal indictment, Kapiris could use two company credit cards to purchase necessary equipment and services. Authorities say Kapiris created three false vendor accounts from which he arranged to have Venture Community Services make purchases, only to pocket the money himself.
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But instead of the credit card charges going to the company, money was routed to personal accounts, federal authorities said. Kapiris is accused of stealing $366,477.
According to federal authorities, Kapiris used the money for personal expenses, including nearly a $20,000 renovation on his Northborough home.
Authorities have filed forfeiture claims against the home, on Westbrook Road, and other property.
In a statement, Venture Community Services President and CEO Mike Hyland thanked the authorities for the resolution of the case.
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"Venture Community Services, a nonprofit that provides services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across eastern and central Mass., terminated Kyriakos 'Rick' Kapiris as the agency’s information technology director on May 29, 2020 after an internal investigation revealed financial crimes," Hyland said. "The agency promptly reported these crimes to local law enforcement, and cooperated fully with the investigation. None of the people supported by Venture were affected by the crimes. Venture conducted a criminal background check on this former employee prior to hire and had rigorous internal controls in place that are reviewed annually by an independent auditor. Venture is grateful for the efforts of the Sturbridge Police Department, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts in bringing Kapiris to justice."
Kapiris' lawyer, Timothy Watkins, said he and his client had no comment about the case or the guilty pleas.
Kapiris faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release for each count of wire fraud. He also faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release for the money laundering charge.
Federal sentencing guidelines are typically less than the maximum sentence.
Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow Norman Miller on Twitter @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Northborough man pleads guilty to embezzling $366,000 from nonprofit
