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Press Release

Former Loan Officer Sentenced for Defrauding Credit Union

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts
Defendant accepted kickback in return for obtaining loans for businessman

BOSTON – A former commercial loan officer for a federal credit union in Greenfield was sentenced on Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, in federal court in Springfield for defrauding the credit union and committing tax fraud.

Michael Dicenzo, 67, of Pittsfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to three years of supervised release. Dicenzo previously pleaded guilty to four counts of receipt of money through transactions of a credit union with intent to defraud the credit union, four counts of tax fraud and one count of false statements to federal officials. 

As a senior commercial loan officer at a credit union in Greenfield, Dicenzo fraudulently obtained a series of loans, totaling approximately $4 million, for a local businessman in exchange for a total of approximately $133,773 in kickbacks. Dicenzo also misappropriated money from two charities whose accounts he supervised. In addition, Dicenzo failed to report this illegally obtained income in his personal income tax returns for years 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. Lastly, Dicenzo lied to investigators during an interview on March 26, 2010, by telling them, among other things, that the kickbacks from the businessman were legitimate payments for work that his wife performed for the businesses.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joleen Simpson, Acting Special Agent In Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations; and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.

Updated October 21, 2020

Topic
Financial Fraud