A Killingly man has admitted to stealing over $775,000 from nonprofits where he served as executive director over several years, according to officials.
In a release, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut David Sullivan stated
Ryan Fitzgibbons, 44, renounced his right to an indictment and pled guilty in federal court in Bridgeport on Wednesday to a fraud charge stemming from his thefts from charitable groups in Windham and Middlefield.
According to Sullivan, Fitzgibbons worked as the executive director of Holy Family Home & Shelter, a humanitarian nonprofit in Windham that provides emergency and temporary accommodation to people and families experiencing homelessness.
According to Sullivan, Fitzgibbons stole roughly $734,683 from HFHS between November 2021 and June 2023 through illicit wire transfers from the HFHS bank account to his personal accounts, as well as unauthorized purchases and ATM withdrawals using the HFHS debit card. Fitzgibbons, he alleged, also wrote checks from the HFHS account to himself and cash.
According to Sullivan, Fitzgibbons sought to conceal his unlawful activities by delivering fake transaction and donation accounting records to HFHS board members. He said that as part of his plot, Fitzgibbons failed to submit to the HFHS board a $392,000 donation from an individual’s estate in September 2022.
Fitzgibbons’ employment at HFHS was ended in September 2023, according to Sullivan.
According to Sullivan, Fitzgibbons was hired as executive director of Durham Middlefield Youth & Family Services around April 2024. He stated that the Middlefield-based charitable nonprofit helps children and families by promoting health via prevention, intervention, therapy, and community building.
According to Sullivan, Fitzgibbons utilized the DMYFS bank account to make about $40,769 in unlawful expenditures, which he fraudulently justified as marketing, payroll, and software. He stated that Fitzgibbons’ employment was terminated in August 2024.
Fitzgibbons pled guilty to wire fraud, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in jail, according to Sullivan. He also agreed to pay $775,452.21 in restitution, Sullivan stated.
According to Sullivan, Fitzgibbons is free on a $100,000 bond pending his sentencing on December 2.
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