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Page 10 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, FEbRuARy 3, 2023 Free Cash transferred to City Clerk’s Archives Account; Ways and Means Committee Chair Hanlon wants to see paper monthly warrants By Tara Vocino T he City Council’s Ways and Means Committee approved an appropriation of $125,000 from the Budgetary Fund Balance, or Free Cash, to the City Clerk’s Archive Account through the end of the fiscal year during Monday’s Ways and Means Committee meeting at City Hall. Committee members also designated Councillor-at-Large Stephanie Smith to sign monthly warrants to ensure that the statutory responsibilities and obligations are met by the city. However, Chair John Hanlon had reservations about doing so. In regard to the money transfer ordered by City Council President Michael Marchese, City Clerk Sergio Cornelio explained that they have renovated the safe with rolling racks in the City Clerk’s Office and digitized permanent records across municipal offices. “We digitized 50 years of treasurers’ payroll, dating back to 1970 so far,” Cornelio said. “We will do the same with council orders for a couple of decades.” Cornelio added this isn’t a new appropriation, adding that the money was actually liquidated and given to taxpayers as Free Cash when it wasn’t intended to be. Chief Financial Officer Eric Demas said the money remains in the City Clerk’s account as a non-lasting special appropriation, and a purchase order was prepared by a third-party contractor at the end of last fiscal year. Ward 3 Councillor Darren Costa asked if the city uses the same third party. Cornelio said they do, adding that they’re in discussions with a three-year contract versus annually to save money. Cornelio said that eventually every department head will ~ Guest Commentary ~ Saying Goodbye To Tommy Birmingham By Sal Giarratani I was saddened hearing of the passing of former Senate President Tom Birmingham who served the people of his senate district quite well. Always a vote and voice of his entire senate district which back in the 90s included Charlestown and Revere. I remember in 1990 when this unknown politician with both a Charlestown and Chelsea family pedigree was elected to represent a district that really needed someone just like him. When he announced for the State Senate, he did it as a Chelsea guy who no matter how far he had traveled over his lifetime never forgot where he came from and straddled both those worlds quite well. As a political activist with strong Townie roots, I loved my Charlestown politics. I had moved out of Charlestown prior to Birmingham becoming its senator up on Beacon Hill but hit it off well with the new senator from across the bridge in Chelsea. Both his parents came from Charlestown as did my mother’s side of the family. I remember when he ran for governor in 2002 and I supported him. We were kindred spirits politically. I remember chatting with him back in the 90s right after he became Senate President and we spoke of my published commentaries and he told me I was more than just a writer who represented my working-class roots growing up, and that I had myself straddled over to a wider audience too while still maintaining my local roots. He may have graduated from Harvard University, Harvard Law School and ended up being a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University but he was always more connected to his working-class Townie/ Chelsea roots. The last time I spoke with him was over at the Knights of Columbus at a political function put on by today’s Charlestown state Senator Sal DiDomenico. It was good to see Tommy again. He was now wheel-chair bound but still had that glowing smile of his. We only spoke for a few minutes that evening but they were a good few minutes. His funeral Mass was held at St. Francis de Sales Church up on Bunker Hill Street. I was there Saturday morning (January 28) to say good-bye to a very good friend. He will never be forgotten by me and so many others he served so well. have access to their own database, especially for important documents, such as solicitors’ court cases. Costa asked Demas the total amount of Free Cash. He wasn’t sure offhand, but he made a note to get back to him. Costa asked about other uses of Free Cash. He said Free Cash is used to negotiate with a number of unions, including a city ambulance service, which will be discussed at the next council meeting. The Committee then recommended favorable action on the money transfer. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 41, Section 56 allows the committee to select one member to sign monthly warrants. The monthly warrants will be available via DocuSign and any member is welcome to view them. However, Committee Chair/ Councillor-at-Large John Hanlon didn’t feel comfortable voting for anything that he couldn’t see. “I want the committee to go to your office, or want the committee to be here,” Hanlon said. “It’s a committee, and I don’t like the idea of having to view the bills at home.” Demas said he can always pull supporting documentation in PDF form from his office if Hanlon has questions. Costa said whether the form is electronic or paper, it wouldn’t change the fact that one committee member has to sign it. Previously to DocuSign, committee members would sign it collectively. He made a motion to designate Smith to be the designee to sign monthly warrants. Smith seconded his motion. Hanlon said he’ll go along with the committee if they want to do electronic documents; however, he emphasized the importance of seeing the bills collectively as a team at the committee meeting. He asked what would happen if Smith signed the warrants, and then Hanlon decided he didn’t want it signed. “We’re responsible for all of these things,” Hanlon said. “We can’t get together as a group?” Cornelio said that by the time it gets to committee, the money has already been spent. “I’m pulling a purchase order from a department head,” Cornelio said. “The Chief Financial Officer has already checked it.” Hanlon asked, if Smith signs the warrants, what’s the purpose of meeting? “I review it,” Hanlon said. “I don’t like it, but it’s already signed.” Costa assured Hanlon that monthly, recurring payments will come in that should make Hanlon more comfortable. Demas said he’s okay with sharing the warrants ahead of time on paper and electronically. Costa will make sure that Hanlon has paper access. Former Everett man sentenced to prison for wire fraud, Social Security misuse and identity theft Defendant used stolen identity to apply for apartment and pandemic relief loan Advocate Staff Report O n January 26, 2023, a former Everett man was sentenced in connection with multiple schemes to fraudulently obtain an apartment as well as pandemic-related relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. Tedje Menard, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 28 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2022, Menard pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of false representation of a Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft. In or around November 2020, Menard applied to rent an apartment in East Boston using the name and identity of another person. As part of the application and screening process, Menard falsely claimed to be the other person by providing the company overseeing the property with, among other things, the victim’s name, Social Security number and date of birth and a copy of a purported North Carolina driver’s license containing the victim’s information but depicting a photograph of Menard. In June 2021, Menard submitted an EIDL application in the amount of $40,000 using the victim’s name and personal identifiable information. Additionally, in April 2021, Menard used his own name to apply for a PPP loan in the amount of approximately $20,833. In the loan application, Menard falsely represented his business’ total gross income in 2019 and his criminal history. On January 27, U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, Joseph R. Bonavolonta, made the sentencing announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Department of Labor and the U.S. Secret Service’s Boston Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Mackenzie Duane and Meghan C. Cleary of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https:// www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

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