A Medford, Massachusetts, man is accused of spending tens of thousands of dollars through his employer's Amazon account on equipment for his band.
Gareth Flanagan, 52, worked for the New England School of Law (NESL) as its IT director, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. This role gave him access to the school's Amazon account, and Flanagan was authorized to make purchases up to $5,000 without approval from the budget director.
Prosecutors allege that between January 2020 and October 2022, Flanagan spent $68,000 through the NESL account, purchasing equipment for his band, "Sloth Machine," and other items not relevant to his job. When confronted by the NESL board and an external audit team, he admitted to the purchases and said he was testing the equipment.
Investigators noted that Flanagan did return some of the items he bought to NESL, but not all of them.
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Flanagan was charged on three counts of larceny over $1,200. He was held on a $1,000 bail and ordered to stay away from the school. He is due back in court on Sept. 9.
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