Former Manager At Vernon Housing Authority Charged In Fraud Case

VERNON, CT — A former manager at the Vernon Housing Authority is facing a felony larceny charge after his arrest Wednesday related to an embezzlement investigation.

The Vernon Housing Authority operates independently from the town.

Michael Gentile, 36, of Manchester, was charged with first-degree larceny, second- and third-degree forgery, along with a third-degree computer crime charge, according to an arrest report. He posted a $10,000 non-surety bond in the case and is slated to appear in Rockville Superior Court on June 29, records show.

The case unraveled in late December, when Housing Authority Executive Director Betsy Soto and the authority's legal counsel, Duncan Forsyth, had a meeting with Vernon police about peculiar accounting practices with an unaccounted for tenant clearly residing in a Housing Authority property. According to an arrest warrant, the tenant had been working with Gentile on lease payments after moving in on Aug. 1.

Gentile, the housing programs manager for the Vernon Housing Authority, was "out of work" at the time after "overdosing" in his office in early December, according t0 a warrant.

With Gentile out, a search of his desk area produced a "personal bag" containing money orders from the tenant in the amounts of $1,100, $1,000 and $800, but the tenant's initial payment of $2,500 for an apartment at 21 Ward St. — the first month's rent of $1,100, the security deposit of the same amount and a $300 dog fee — were unaccounted for.

The tenant told housing authority authorities that he had a cash deal with Gentile that included a rent credit for some tree work that the tenant, who was in that line of work, would perform, according to a warrant. The tenant was also trying to arrange rent credit after mice had chewed a hole in the ceiling over his daughter's bedroom that Gentle failed to address, according to a warrant.

Gentile had apparently rented the apartment to the man but never had Soto sign off on the lease, according to a warrant. In all, the housing authority lost $3,600 on the property, according to a warrant.

Gentile is also accused of taking a cash payment pf $1,100 for security deposit at a property on Carol Drive that was not deposited in a Vernon Housing Authority account, according to a warrant.

In another rent case, Gentile is accused of making himself the payee on a pair of $250 money orders given by tenants for back rent. One of the money orders was cashed in Manchester, according to a warrant.

Gentile is also accused of fudging the income level of an elderly resident living in a housing authority property on Grove Street, according to a warrant.

Soto told police the woman had requested a receipt for a payment she made that was never recorded, according to a warrant. Housing authority officials noticed the woman's income level was changed in the database to zero, which then triggered the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to pay her rent in full via vouchers.

Gentile handled that particular rental, according to a warrant. HUD's losses totaled $1,416, records show.

Vernon police spokesman Lt. William Meier said federal authorities declined to press charges and left the case up to local police.

After the Grove Street incident, Gentile was suspended, according to a warrant. He told police in an interview that he had been terminated and also showed "remorse" for the dealings, according to a warrant. He told police he was "struggling with addiction," according to a warrant.

The losses to the housing authority were not covered by insurance, according to a warrant. Soto told police that he had no authorization for any of the dealings, a warrant states.

Soto said, housing authority officials, "will not be commenting on this matter at this time."