For Immediate Release September 30, 2008                                    
Contact: Corey Welford/Jessica Venezia 781-897-8325

Buonomo Indicted For Alleged Theft Of Public Monies

WOBURN – The former Middlesex County Register of Probate has been indicted in connection with his alleged theft of public monies, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone announced today.

John R. Buonomo, 56, of Newton, was indicted today by a Middlesex County Grand Jury on charges of breaking and entering into a depository with intent to commit a larceny (12 counts), theft of public property by a city/town/county officer (eight counts), and larceny under $250 (eight counts).

An arraignment date has not yet been set.

On August 6, Buonomo was arrested by State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s PACT Unit. It is alleged that Buonomo, a then county-wide elected official, engaged in a repeated pattern of stealing cash and coins from copy and money machines at the Office of the Register of Deeds over a period of weeks.

Video surveillance cameras installed by the PACT Unit captured the defendant engaged in these acts numerous times during the months of June, July, and August. The Register of Deeds office is located in the same building as the Register of Probate office.

Buonomo resigned from his position as Register of Probate on September 7.

The investigation began in June when information was obtained regarding the suspected ongoing theft of monies from numerous copy machines and cash machines within the Registry of Deeds, located at 208 Cambridge Street in Cambridge. The Registry of Deeds had noticed monthly shortages in receipts received from their copy machines estimated to be as much as thousands of dollars over a period of months.

Based on this and other information obtained during a subsequent investigation, the PACT Unit commenced video surveillance on the second floor and basement areas of the Registry of Deeds office. During the following weeks, usually at the end of the work day, Buonomo is regularly observed on video accessing the money machines in the basement and second floor of the Registry of Deeds. He was often captured on video removing a stack of dollar bills, counting the money, and then returning a portion of those bills to the machine while pocketing the rest.

During the weeks of the investigation, Buonomo is captured on video accessing one of the machines on at least eighteen separate occasions. He is believed to have taken cash and coins for himself on at least eight of those occasions.

According to the Registry of Deeds, Buonomo has no authority to access the cash machines or copy machines on the Registry of Deeds side of the building nor does he have the authority to remove money from the machines.

After his arrest, Buonomo was arraigned in Cambridge District Court on August 7 where he pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance.

The investigation into his alleged actions is ongoing.

The Middlesex District Attorney’s PACT Unit, established when District Attorney Leone took office, is dedicated to the investigation and prosecution of cases of public protection (including narcotics and organized crime), anti-terrorism, corruption, and technology.

These charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s PACT Unit. It is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney John Verner, Chief of the PACT Unit.

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