Connecticut Housing Authority Exec Is Charged With $16.2 Million Loan Fraud

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut has indicted the former executive director of a Connecticut public housing authority on nine counts of fraud and money laundering.Robert Cappelletti of Middlebury, CT, was charged with committing the crimes while heading up Meriden Housing Authority, which served the communities of Meriden and Groton. He pleaded not guilty and was released on bail.Cappelletti served as MHA's executive director from 2009 to 2025 and also served on the board of the Maynard Road Corp., a nonprofit that undertook redevelopment projects on the behalf of the MHA.Prosecutors say that in 2022, Cappelletti took out a $16.2 million loan, alleging it was on behalf of the Maynard Road Corp., but did so without authorization from the MHA or the MRC.According to the indictment, Cappelletti issued a promissory note on behalf of the MRC and guaranteed it on behalf of the MHA without authorization from either entity’s board of directors.He then allegedly funneled a portion of those funds to himself through various accounts and shell companies. The indictment claims he transferred $450,000 of the funds to a personal brokerage account, used more than $374,000...