From the Town of Medfield –

From Attorney General’s office –

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

PRESS RELEASE

Press Release 

Indictments Announced Against Former Medfield Town Official For Stealing Funds And Corruption

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

10/05/2023

• Office of the Attorney General
• Office of the Attorney General

BOSTON — A former Medfield public employee has been indicted by the Norfolk County Grand Jury for stealing municipal funds and exploiting his public position to enrich himself, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s Office announced today. 

Former Parks and Recreation Director for the Town of Medfield, Kevin Ryder, age 49, of Medfield, was indicted on the charges of Larceny over $1200 by Scheme (4 counts), Larceny under $1200 (1 count), Accepting Illegal Gratuities (1 count), and Use of Official Position to Secure an Unwarranted Privilege (2 counts).  Ryder will be arraigned in Norfolk County Superior Court at a later date. 

The indictments are the result of an investigation launched by the Attorney General’s Office following the Town of Medfield’s referral to the AGO of its concerns about Ryder’s apparent failure to report and turn over the cash his Department collected over a period of years.  The Town of Medfield later cooperated with the AGO’s subsequent investigation into Ryder’s conduct. 

Ryder was Medfield’s Parks and Recreation Department Director from 2014 until August 2022. The AGO investigation yielded evidence that Ryder had stolen over $100,000 from the Town of Medfield.   A large portion of the stolen property consisted of cash, the bulk of which was generated from entrance fees and concessions at Medfield’s Hinkley Swim Pond.  In addition, the investigation revealed that Ryder had purchased thousands of dollars’ worth of personal items for himself using the Town’s Amazon business account including merchandise to support his personal side-business and electronic devices he resold on eBay. 

In addition to directly stealing cash and buying items for himself with the Town’s money, Ryder on multiple occasions was found to have exploited his official position to enrich himself.  For example, Ryder is alleged to have sold thousands of dollars’ worth of Town-purchased equipment, keeping all of the sales proceeds for himself.  In addition, over the course of several years, Ryder’s Department financially sponsored and supported an exercise program at a local gym, and he in turn received a financial kickback from the local gym, which represented 50% of the gym’s profits from the Town-sponsored program and amounted to over $16,000.     

The prosecutor assigned to this matter is White Collar and Public Integrity Division AAG Kathleen Celio. The case was investigated by Jonathan Pitts of the Office of the Inspector General and the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Attorney General’s Office.