FBI Arrests Mass. Town Official Who Allegedly Stole $46K From Property She Managed To Spend At Casino
A Boston-area property manager and real estate broker has been indicted after allegedly withdrawing cash from the account of a condominium association she managed and spending it at a casino.
Cheryl Sullivan, who serves as the chair of the Board of Assessors for the town of Dedham, Massachusetts, was taken into FBI custody Monday on five charges of wire fraud, according to a Department of Justice press release. Sullivan, 67, was arraigned in U.S. District Court in Providence, Rhode Island, and released on bond after pleading not guilty.
Sullivan allegedly stole more than $46K from the River Island Condominium Association in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, where she worked as a property manager in 2018, according to the DOJ indictment. She gained access to a debit card connected to the association's account, and she allegedly used it multiple times in 2019 to withdraw cash from the Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville.
Sullivan was elected in 2018 to the Dedham Board of Assessors, which oversees the valuation of real estate and personal property in the town of 25,000 people on Boston's southern border. She was re-elected to the volunteer body last year, according to a statement posted to the town's website, and her term as chair lasts until 2024.
“The Town has been made aware of the indictment and the allegations against Ms. Sullivan,” Dedham Town Manager Leon Goodwin said in the statement. “We as the Town take these charges very seriously and would like to assure the public that they are not related to her work as an elected official to the Board of Assessors.”
Sullivan has been a real estate agent for nearly 30 years, according to her page on Realtor.com.
"Call me if you are even just thinking of buying or selling real estate, no obligation I will help you," her Realtor.com bio reads. "I am a 'Realtor' and I am held to the highest standards. When you meet me you will feel comfortable in Real Estate matters."
A federal grand jury indicted Sullivan on five counts of wire fraud for five different withdrawals for a combined $46,500 from a Plainridge Park ATM between February and April 2019.
