Mass. Homeless Shelter Chief Faces Charges [View All]

[DoYouEverWonder]

January 13, 2006, 3:48 PM EST

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The former director of the city's homeless shelter was charged Friday with siphoning off $350,000 in taxpayer money to outfit his beach home and pay for two friends' no-show jobs.

Prosecutors said grant money meant for renovations to the shelter in 1997-2002 instead went toward buying building materials for Francis Keough's second home in Rhode Island, which then was furnished with mattresses, refrigerators and other items meant for the shelter.

Prosecutors said Keough also told two shelter employees to submit false time sheets showing they were working in early 2000.

He was charged with fraud, tax evasion and other offenses. He has been in jail since August on earlier charges that included extortion and witness tampering.

"He's maintained his innocence all along," said Keough's lawyer, Dan Kelly. "These charges will be fought as aggressively as they've been brought."

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-brf-springfield-corruption,0,954772.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines


Gee imagine a homeless provider taking advantage of homeless people. Oh that could never happen.