Ex-Prep CFO pleads guilty to $82G theft

SALEM – The former chief financial officer for St. John’s Prep in Danvers, who admitted stealing nearly $82,000 from the Catholic high school to pay off the balance of a vehicle for his wife, to buy another car outright for a female co-worker and buy personal items for his home, was placed on probation for five years and agreed to pay back all the money he stole.Brian Dalphonse, 42, of Goffstown, N.H., changed his innocent plea to guilty Monday morning in Salem Superior Court to four counts of larceny over $250 as well as three counts of false entry into corporate books before Judge John T. Lu.The charges arise out of incidents during 2007 and 2008 while he was chief financial officer at the Danvers school.The thefts came to light in the fall of 2009 when Dalphonse resigned and an audit, which is school policy, was conducted and the discrepancies discovered.Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Elsa W. Willis asked for a state prison term of one to three years and probation.She said the school was readily affected by the crime, that the school supports her recommendation but also the school recognizes Dalphonse’s willingness to pay back the money.She said the thefts arise from Dalphonse paying the balance of his wife’s car off, then purchasing another car outright for $33,671.75 for a co-worker and buying a $2,100 home theater system, a $750 smart phone and then upgrades for his personal use, for a total amount of $81,842.51.Defense lawyer William E. Christie urged the court to be lenient, proposing probation, while citing that his client had no criminal record and has been an active member of the community. He told Lu that his client had a serious accident in 2006 which predates the conduct. He noted that his client accepts responsibility and is willing to pay restitution.In handing down the punishment, Lu ordered that Dalphonse pay back the $81,842.51 and that $60,000 of that amount be paid within 60 days. He also ordered that Dalphonse have no contact with the school or witnesses in the case and is to inform any employers of his conviction and continue taking his prescribed medications.