Ex-chief in deal over credit scam
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By Susan Smallheer STAFF WRITER - Published: October 21, 2009
BELLOWS FALLS – A former interim Bellows Falls Police chief has entered into a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney's office over criminal charges accusing him of using a village credit card to gamble at Connecticut casinos in 2007.
John Dunfee, who resigned in September 2007 after about 11 months on the job, will formally enter his plea next year during his sentencing, set for Feb. 1 in Burlington.
Dunfee is formally charged with one count of wire fraud. The charges were handled by federal officials because of the interstate nature of the offenses.
Village attorney Raymond Massucco said Tuesday that Dunfee's scheme was uncovered by village officials, including the village finance director John O'Connor and Municipal Manager Jim Mullen.
Dunfee left before the problem was uncovered, Massucco said, and the problem came to light immediately, when credit card invoices arrived at village offices.
Massucco said he didn't know why Dunfee had resigned, although he said he suspected that Dunfee knew he could no longer keep his illegal use of the village credit cards a secret.
"He actually tried to have the bills sent to his home," Massucco said.
Massucco wasn't sure exactly how much money was charged to the village by the police chief, but he said he was sure that Dunfee was already in the process of paying full restitution. "It's essentially embezzlement," Massucco said.
According to court documents, Dunfee "used his village of Bellows Falls credit card to make payments and obtain cash advances in connection with trips he made to Connecticut casinos to gamble."
Additionally, Dunfee submitted a payment request to village officials for $2,300, which he claimed was going to be used to purchase new firearms for new officers, but which he used to pay a credit card charge from the Connecticut casino.
From court documents, it was unclear exactly how much money Dunfee had charged to the village. Massucco said he was unsure of the exact amount, but he said that the village didn't have to invoke its bonding insurance on the police chief.
Dunfee succeeded former Chief Keith Clark, who was elected Windham County sheriff in 2006 and took office in 2007. Clark recommended Dunfee, his sergeant, for the chief's post.
It appears most of the Connecticut travel took place while Rockingham and Bellows Falls was under the leadership of former Town Manager John Schempf. Mullen succeeded him in September 2007.
Mullen declined comment on the Dunfee case Tuesday, referring all comment to Massucco. Dunfee left the state when he resigned.
According to court records, Dunfee signed the still-secret plea agreement on Oct. 6. Paul Van de Graaf, assistant U.S. Attorney who is handling the case, couldn't be reached on Tuesday.
Dunfee's short tenure as chief wasn't without public controversy, as he and Schempf caused the village department to be reprimanded by the Department of Public Safety after Dunfee used the village's access to state police computer data at Schempf's request because he had received a $212 speeding ticket.
susan.smallheer@rutlandherald.com
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