(WHDH) — A correction officer from Peabody who worked with the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office has been arraigned on a larceny charge after authorities say he used his access to inmate canteen accounts to falsely issue himself debit cards for his personal use.
Ronald Moloney, 50, was arraigned Monday in Middlesex Superior Court on charges including larceny over $1,200 and filing a false report by a public employee after an investigation determined he issued himself a debit card using an account linked to an inmate who had been transferred to another correctional facility in May and then tried to cover up the crime by filing a report indicating he mistakenly credited the money to another inmate, officials said.
Through the course of a subsequent investigation, officials identified 93 debit cards issued by Moloney and eight debit cards processed by another staffer and handled by Moloney that were fraudulently used for purchases or cash withdrawals between March and June worth about $6,229.62.
The investigation also allegedly revealed that Moloney targeted dormant accounts of released inmates to attempt to avoid detection.
He was released on his own recognizance and ordered to appear for a pretrial hearing on Jan. 17.
Moloney has been suspended without pay pending the resolution of this case.
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