A cafeteria food director from Massachusetts has been accused of stealing federal funds. Why exactly? Well, he has reportedly used this money to buy expensive food like lobster.
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Cafeteria Food Director Allegedly Stole Funds To Purchase “Premium” Lobster
According to the Daily Mail, police charged 62-year-old Patrick VanCott with larceny. VanCott has allegedly used the stolen funds to stock up his own business, the Snack Shack. Situated at Sandy Neck Beach, VanCott has reportedly been reselling food like lobster at Snack Shack.
VanCott has used his position at Plymouth Public Schools as food services director to order restaurant supplies for years, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s office. This investigation began on May 30 after receiving an anonymous letter. It spoke about criminal activity happening at Plymouth Community Intermediate School.
“The letter alleged that a person had been stealing commercial equipment and food products from the school,” said the DA’s office. For several years, VanCott allegedly stole “food, cafeteria equipment and paper goods” from the schools.
Prosecutors believed VanCott bought goods worth $8,300 that weren’t in school storage. This included a $1,700 refrigerate sandwich table, as well as an under-counter freezer worth the same price.
VanCott was the only one with the authority to make cafeteria orders. This allowed him to get away with the alleged crime for so long. The food director mainly purchased “premium Angus hamburgers, hot dogs, lobster meat, and other food products that were not served to students or school staff.”
Suspect Stole Refrigerators Meant For School Cafeterias
The DA’s office even obtained video footage from April 4 showing VanCott taking fridges from the school. They caught him “loading one of the refrigerators onto a town truck and departing.” Afterward, he returned to the school in his personal pickup truck to load the second fridge into his vehicle.
This wasn’t the only thing they caught VanCott doing. According to investigators, VanCott had workers slice deli meat for him. This happened for years, and it was between Memorial Day and Labor Day. According to WHDH, police believe VanCott had been committing these crimes for over 15 years.
On top of that, others witnessed VanCott taking “condiments, snacks, paper goods, coffee and other items from the kitchen.”
Police finally enacted a search warrant on June 4 at the Snack Shake. This revealed the hidden coffee maker, premium foods, industrial-sized refrigerator, and more. VanCott’s larceny charges are Larceny over $1,200 by a Single Scheme and Larceny from a Building.
Despite all the evidence, VanCott pleaded not guilty. They have a $50,000 cash bail on him, and his next scheduled court date is July 21.