Boston Herald
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/2011_0510
freemason_chargedin_1m_embezzlement/
Freemason charged in $1M embezzlement
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
By Jessica Van Sack
A 58-year-old Maine man accused of embezzling more than $1 million from within the secretive headquarters of the Massachusetts Grand Lodge of Masons is scheduled to be arraigned today in Suffolk Superior Court.
Vincent Paul Reed Jr. of Shapleigh, Maine, spent $1.25 million in Mason funds on personal travel expenses, household pets, utilities and credit card debt, prosecutors said.
The theft is alleged to have taken place from 2001 to 2008 � while Reed served as elected treasurer of the Boston Council of Loyal Select Master Masons and the St. Paul�s chapter of the Loyal Arch Masons, said Jake Wark, spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley.
Both divisions of the ancient fraternal order meet at the Masonic lodge on Tremont Street downtown.
Neither Reed nor his lawyer could be reached.
A spokesman for the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts released a statement thanking investigators for their hard work and saying they look forward to a �swift resolution.�
�When we discovered Mr. Reed�s actions, we immediately reported our findings to the authorities,� the statement said.
Comments (15):
rightfooty ? +4 -3
No wonder they're advertising like crazy trying to get new members. They need new members, and their money, to replace the criminals.
Sorry, but the post that was in this spot has been removed as it did not follow our guidelines.
#2188708 - May 10, 2011 6:43 AM EDT
Reggie ? +1 -1
Huh? Mr. Reed was the Mason's treasurer from 2001-2008 and no one caught this embezzzlement until recently.? Even after another Mason did the same thing in 2005? Who's your accountant? Just how much money do you all "rake in" anyway that $1.2 MILLION can go undetected for 7 years!!!! Recently detected "irregularities!? I would think it was more like a shot across the bow!!!
So much for your "secret society"!! It won't be a secret for long now!!!
NatickPilgrim ? +4 -4
Secret society? You mean the one with the big, public headquarters, which offers public tours, and whose name and phone number is listed in the phone book? The one with the website listing all sorts of information? You trolls have been reading waay to much Dan Brown novels lately.
In this case, however, the Masons have announced the crime and are dealing with it publicly. Not so secret, is it? You trolls need to put down your Conspiracy Theories for Dummies (as apt as the title is) and do some real research.
Fact is, the Freemasons - like most other organizations - have bad apples as well as good. I'd say two bad apples out of 20,000 members is not bad. Compared to other organizations with millions of adherents, and daily reports about rampant theft, embezzlement, and pedophilia. And criminal politicians who proudly declare their membership in these religious-based organizations.
bobbybear ? +1 0
Conley and Galvin took three years to investigate. Lovely elected officials of this very fine commonwealth. Very happy to see them doing what they were elected to do in a timely manner. Guess they couldn't get their press releases done in a timely manner either. I would trust a Mason with a handshake and his word more than trust a politician to do their job. 1/10,000 of a chance of a crook in an organization? With the Charities the Mason's support? The Shriner's Hospital to name just one? The comment's are barking up the wrong tree...
1troubelmaker ? 0 0
guys like this are the reason i joined the Loyal Order of Raccoons instead
kamfish replying to bobbybear ? 0 0
You are right; American Freemasons contribute more than 3 million dollars a day to various charities, including 22 Shriners' Hospitals, for which no one is ever charged a dime and no one is turned away.
Sorry, but the post that was in this spot has been removed as it did not follow our guidelines.
#2189404 - May 10, 2011 12:32 PM EDT
aLiberal ? 0 -1
Fremasonry believes that a man's greatness can be measured. What by how much he can embezzle? I thought about joining, but I joined NORML instead. Where a mans greatness can be measured by the THC in his bong.
buddy6 replying to NatickPilgrim ? +1 -1
These people that think the Freemasons are a secret society are the same ones who think the landing on the moon was faked, Elvis is still alive, and that birthers and truthers have the straight facts.
1troubelmaker ? 0 0
i know the secret handshake...
kamfish replying to 1troubelmaker ? 0 0
Which one?
Hiram3 ? +1 0
Mr. Reed was not involved in any way with the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. He was the Treasurer of 2 smaller bodies, and managed to cover this up for a few years. Once the Grand Lodge discovered his impropriety, they immediately contacted the authorities. Justice is dealt with very swiftly in the fraternity. Period.
JoeyA1 replying to aLiberal ? +1 -1
Then I guess in about an hour and four minutes your comments will make even less sense!
It really shouldn't be a surprise that someone with the screen name aLiberal would be a member of NORML and make the choice to join that over the Masons.
erikjmc ? 0 0
Just a quick item. It is Royal & Select Master Masons. http://yorkrite.com/gcma/ The article has it as Loyal. I will agree with the above comments that point out that Masonry is not very secret as most of the information is available freely these days.
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