QUINCY, MASS. (WHDH) - A former Quincy director of elder services was indicted and appeared in federal court Wednesday in connection with a scheme to embezzle funds from the city.
Thomas F. Clasby, 60, of Fitchburg, is charged with embezzlement, mail and wire fraud, and interstate transportation of stolen property.
Clasby was director of the Quincy Department of Elder Services between “approximately 1999 and April 2024”, according to the indictment.
“Beginning in 2019, Clasby allegedly used the City’s purchasing process to pay personal expenses and generate cash for himself,” the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Massachusetts said in a statement. “For example, Clasby allegedly arranged for the City to pay $8,950 to a music studio to produce recordings of Clasby singing songs; $2,236 to food service vendors for 153 pounds of bourbon steak tips; $4,800 for a Toyota Prius; and $1,658 for a signature, lacquered, mounted, and framed self-portrait, all of which were personal expenses.”
Clasby also allegedly arranged for the city to pay more than $38,000 to a New York consulting firm owned by his friend.
“The consulting company never provided goods or services to any City department,” officials said. “Instead, Clasby’s friend allegedly cashed the City checks and delivered the cash to Clasby at a rest stop in Framingham, Mass., a ferry terminal in Bridgeport, Conn. and at the friend’s New York apartment. The indictment further alleges that, starting in June 2021, Clasby stole the vast majority of cash receipts generated by Elder Services at the Kennedy Center in Quincy.”
“Thomas Clasby’s alleged betrayal of trust is not just a theft from the City of Quincy but an affront to the seniors he was sworn to serve and the taxpayers who funded these programs,” said U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “As Director of Elder Services, Mr. Clasby was entrusted with protecting vulnerable members of his community. Instead, he allegedly used his position to fund personal indulgences, from bourbon steak tips to a custom-framed self-portrait, and even went so far as to collect cash handoffs at ferry terminals and rest stops. Let this indictment serve as a reminder: public officials who exploit their positions for personal gain will be found out and held accountable for their crimes.”
The charges each carry sentences from 10 to 20 years in prison and fines up to $250,000 each.
“Stealing money from programs that are set up to help our seniors is utterly disgraceful,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today, the FBI arrested Thomas Clasby for allegedly padding his paycheck in a big way, using tens of thousands of dollars belonging to the city’s coffers as his own personal slush fund. In doing so, we believe he cheated the city of Quincy’s Department of Elder Services, the taxpayers who help fund it, and all the honest municipal workers who do the right thing, in the right way, every day. We’d like to thank the Quincy Police Department for its assistance in bringing Mr. Clasby to justice.”
Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch released a statement regarding the allegations.
“While I remain deeply saddened personally by what transpired, the way this matter was handled by all involved — from our staff, our outside auditors, and law enforcement — showed unequivocally that this kind of breach of the public’s trust will never be tolerated,” he said, in part.
Clasby pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was ordered by the judge to have no contact with any witnesses associated with the case and to surrender his passport.
He declined to comment as he left court Wednesday. Clasby is due back in court in March.
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