State officials continue to investigate what happened at a Richmond, Rhode Island manufactured home cooperative.
The Westerly Sun reports that state police are trying to figure out what happened to missing money at the Hillside Mobile Home Park, which led to the arrest of the co-op’s president, Maria Tavares on June 15th.
Tavares has been charged with conspiring and obtaining money under false pretenses. She was released on $10,000 bail.
Police Captain John Allen said that the department was actively investigating the case via the financial crimes unit.
The amount missing from Hillside could be as much as $450,000.
The money was discovered to be missing from a fund used to save and distribute monthly dues to cover maintenance and long-term improvements for the community.
“With the existence of a dedicated financial crimes unit, its not unusual for the state police to assume matters like this,” said Richmond Police Chief Elwood Johnson. “As the complaint was made to [state police], it makes sense that they would handle the matter exclusively.”
Johnson said his department would offer assistance to the state police if requested.
According to WPRI, a resident who asked not to be identified, said she has lived in the community for 30 years and was shocked by the crime which surfaced in May after Hillsdale board members noticed the money was missing.
Another resident, who said he and other residents were asked by the board not to talk publicly about the incident, said he was surprised the account had $450,000 in it.
“We need to know where it all went,” he said. ##
(Image credits are as shown above.)
Submitted by RC Williams to the Daily Business News for MHProNews.
