A Bristol attorney accused of stealing approximately $1.4 million of his own charity funds meant to benefit veterans has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, prosecutors say.
Kevin E. Creed, 67, of Litchfield, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty Wednesday in New Haven federal court, according to the Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Creed faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years when he is scheduled for sentencing by a U.S. District judge on Nov. 20. He is free on $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Creed operates Bristol’s The Creed Law Firm LLC, and founded in 2010 a charity known as the Friends of Fisher House Connecticut. The nonprofit is a chapter of the national Fisher House Foundation, which builds homes on the grounds of military and Veteran Affairs (VA) medical centers where veterans and their families can stay for free while undergoing treatment.
The purported aim of Creed’s faction was meant to raise money to support the building and maintenance of a Fisher House in West Haven.
Prosecutors say Creed solicited donations from corporations and individuals at fairs, carnivals and supermarkets, and also held fundraising events such as the Bristol half-marathon and a 10-kilometer foot race. Donations were made under the representation that the funds would be used to rehab the West Haven facility, which debuted in May 2018.
But Creed’s charity only donated $1 million of $2.4 million raised in 2015 to support the financing of construction. That’s because Creed, from 2012 to late 2018 or early 2019, used his position to steal about $1.4 million in donations for personal use and law firm expenses, prosecutors say.
The matter is being investigated by the FBI. Individuals who believe they have been victimized by the scheme are asked to contact the U.S. Attorney Office.
Creed could not be reached for comment.
