WORCESTER – A man has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to over three years in jail for stealing more than $900,000 from multiple local municipalities.
Justin Cole, 40, of Uxbridge, pleaded guilty to multiple charges in Worcester Superior Court on May 25. The charges include Larceny over $250, Larceny over $1,200, False Claims, Securing an Unwarranted Privilege, and Unlawful Financial Interest of a Municipal Employee.
Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Daniel Wrenn declared Cole a Common and Notorious Thief and sentenced him to three years and one month in the Worcester County House of Correction followed by three years of probation with the condition that he is barred from performing any financial services for any person or entity.
Cole was the principal of Bay Statte Municipal Accounting Group (BMAG) and the full-time Uxbridge town accountant while allegedly carrying out the crimes he pleaded guilty to.
According to the Attorney General’s office, from 2012 to 2017, Cole stole funds by submitting and approving dozens of false invoices and related submissions that caused the town to pay for services not provided. He also used his role to steal additional funds through fraudulent billing, causing Uxbridge to pay rent owned by BMAG and purchase software and equipment for BMAG.
Cole stepped down as the Uxbridge town accountant in July 2017, but allegedly continued to defraud other municipalities through fraudulent billing.
According to the Attorney General’s office, Cole stole a total of $931,149 with $855,474 from Uxbridge, $24,597 from Monterey, $47,600 from Millville, and $3,478 from Wenham.
The Office of the Inspector General Glenn Cunha referred the case to Attorney General Maura Healey’s office.
