Former Director of Waterbury Boys and Girls Club Who Embezzled More Than $400,000 Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Robert Generali, 53, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for embezzling $423,908.82 from the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Waterbury. Generali also was ordered to pay full restitution to the Boys and Girls Club, $168,285.88 in back taxes, penalties and interest, and a $7,500 fine.

“This is an appropriate sentence for an individual who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from an organization that provides important programs and a safe environment for kids in and around Waterbury,” stated U.S. Attorney Fein. “This theft deprived the club and those who need its services of money that could have funded educational programs, mentoring programs, athletic activities, and desperately needed capital improvements; instead, the defendant used the proceeds of his crime to pay for expensive meals, wine and liquor, personal vacations, gambling, jewelry, and other expenses.”

According to court documents and statements made in court, Generali was the executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Waterbury and had sole responsibility for the management of the club’s day-to-day finances. From January 2007 through May 2011, Generali embezzled from the club by using the club’s funds to pay for personal expenses he charged to a credit card that he established in the club’s name. Generali also established an unauthorized “off-the-books” bank account, funded with approximately $30,000 in club funds, which he drew upon to pay for personal expenses. In addition, Generali authorized the issuance of checks to “phantom” employees and then negotiated the checks for his own unauthorized use.

Generali filed federal tax returns that failed to account for the embezzled income for the 2007 through 2010 tax years. He also failed to report on his tax returns a $40,000 raffle prize that he won in 2007 and a $100,000 gambling prize that he won in 2008. On February 27, 2012, Generali pleaded guilty to one count of theft from a program receiving federal funds, one count of wire fraud, and one count of subscribing a false tax return.

The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Waterbury has received federal grant monies under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and a grant awarded by the Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher M. Mattei and Eric J. Glover.