Meeting Scheduled for Victims of Man Who Stole from Charity Founded to Help Veterans and Military Families

On August 28, 2019, KEVIN E. CREED, of Litchfield, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty in New Haven federal court to wire fraud related to a scheme in which he stole approximately $1.4 million from the Friends of Fisher House Connecticut, a charity he established with the purported purpose to raise funds to support the building and maintenance of a veterans comfort home in West Haven.

On November 15, 2019, U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall issued a ruling establishing that:

• Friends of Fisher House Connecticut is a victim of Creed’s fraudulent scheme, as defined under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act.
• Any individual or entity targeted through direct solicitations that relied on false representations by Creed, to include person-to-person contact, online media, or fundraisers planned by Creed or his staff for the benefit of Friends of Fisher House Connecticut, is a victim under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act.
• Individuals who participated in an event coordinated by another organization or individual, such as runners in charity races, are not considered to be victims under the statute, because that individual was not directly or proximately harmed by Creed’s fraudulent scheme.
• Fisher House National and the veterans who may have benefited in the future from the pilfered funds are not statutory considered victims of Creed’s wire fraud.

All victims who donated to the Friends of Fisher House Connecticut have a right to be heard at any proceeding regarding the plea and also have the reasonable right to confer with the government regarding the plea.  Representatives of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Assistant U.S. Attorney assigned to this matter are available for such conference in person, by telephone or by e-mail.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has scheduled a meeting with any interested victims to be held on December 11, 2019, at 10 a.m., in the Jury Assembly Room located in the U.S. District Court, 141 Church Street, in New Haven.  Identified victims of this fraud scheme, as well as individuals who believe they are victims of this fraud scheme and have not been previously contacted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, are encouraged to attend.  Please RSVP to Ines Cenatiempo at Ines.Cenatiempo@usdoj.gov or by phone at 203-821-3757.

For victims who are unable to attend the meeting in person, a conference call line will be available:

Conference Call Dial-in Number: 888-995-9851
Passcode: 3406517

In order to accommodate the many victims in this case, the conference call with be “listen-only,” and all phone participants will be muted.  Victims with follow-up questions or concerns will be encouraged to contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office by e-mail or phone after the call.