Tufts officials allegedly lived high life with stolen funds

August 12, 2008 03:28 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

By Globe Staff

A former Tufts University official who allegedly stole more than $600,000 from his employer used the money for trips to Paris, Montreal, New York, Las Vegas and other destinations, and to buy luxury goods from places such as Gucci, Tiffany, and Louis Vuitton, Middlesex County prosecutors said.

Raymond Rodriguez, formerly the budget and fiscal coordinator for the Office of Student Activities, pleaded not guilty today at his arraignment before a clerk magistrate in Superior Court in Woburn, said district attorney's spokeswoman Jessica Venezia.

Josephine Nealley, director of the Office of Student Activities, also pleaded not guilty in a separate scheme in which she allegedly stole more than $370,000 from the university. Nealley allegedly used the money she stole to make purchases at places like Foxwoods Resort and Casino, IKEA, Whole Foods, and Omaha Steaks, prosecutors said.

Rodriguez was indicted July 1 on two counts of larceny over $250. Nealley was indicted the same day on three counts of larceny over $250.

Nealley's lawyer, Howard Lewis, said that Nealley had denied Rodriguez a promotion and he had anonymously reported to authorities "all these ridiculous things that she didn't do."

Rodriguez "clearly was mad at Miss Nealley, and tried to implicate her in his own actions," Lewis said.

Rodriguez's attorney, Steven Goldwyn, said, "In my opinion, it's wholly inappropriate and wholly unprofessional to have this case tried in the media. And I would urge the public not to rush to judgment but instead reserve judgement for when the facts come out in the natural course of the justice system."