This week, a former Massachusetts golf pro who was in charge of two municipal golf courses , and was accused of stealing almost $1 million from them after overseeing their operations was found not guilty of 18 charges.
Kevin M. Kennedy (44), was charged after his Kennedy Golf Management Inc. managed the City of Springfield’s two public golf course, Franconia Golf Course, and Veterans Memorial Golf Course.
A jury found Kennedy not guilty of charges of theft, money laundering and wire fraud. Kennedy’s father, who is politically connected, was found guilty of one count of tax conspiracies and another for making a false declaration to a financial institution.
According a report on MassLive.com by Springfield’s attorneys, the Springfield native has not taken money that was designated for the City.
The prosecution argued that Kennedy had built two luxurious homes using cash due to the city as part of a contract between KGMI and Kennedy’s golf company. Defense attorneys David P. Hoose, and Luke Ryan, countered by saying that while Kennedy did keep cash proceeds from Internal Revenue Service, which he siphoned off his company, he had never stolen a penny from the city.
Kevin has always maintained that he did not steal money from Springfield and the jury clearly believed him. Hoose, after the verdict, said that it was a huge weight off of his shoulders.
“As I mentioned in my conclusion, he is a Springfield boy born and raised. He wanted to prove that he hadn’t stolen anything from Springfield. His family was closely connected to the city. We continue to insist that Springfield has not proved any money missing,” Hoose said.
Kennedy entered a guilty plea to four counts for tax evasion the day before jury selection began in the trial. His sentencing is set to take place in March.
According to an official release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Massachusetts, the charge for conspiracy to defraud America carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. This is followed by three years of supervision and a fine up to $250,000. According to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts, the charge of conspiracy to defraud provides a sentence up 30 years in jail, 5 years of supervised released and a $1 million fine. Tax fraud charges carry a maximum sentence of three years in jail, three years of supervision and a $100,000 fine. The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines are used by federal district courts to determine sentences. The Sentencing Guidelines are a set of statutes and guidelines that govern the sentence determination in criminal cases.
