Plymouth schools food director accused of stealing lobster, refrigerators for his Cape Cod business
The food services director for Plymouth Public Schools is accused of stealing lobster, meats and commercial refrigerators from the district for use at his Cape Cod business.
Patrick VanCott, 62, of Sandwich, who runs the Snack Shack at Sandy Neck Beach in Barnstable, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Plymouth District Court on Friday on charges of larceny over $1,200 by a single scheme and larceny from a building, Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz said in a statement.
VanCott was held on $50,000 cash bail and ordered to stay away from all Plymouth school campuses and school storage facility.
Prosecutors said VanCott allegedly stole food, cafeteria equipment, classroom equipment, and paper goods from the school district 'for a number of years.'
Surveillance video from the school and also on the Sagamore Bridge showed VanCott's personal truck cross the bridge with one small refrigerator, that he allegedly stole from the school, secured on the rear truck bed, Cruz said.
On May 30, Plymouth Public Schools officials contacted Plymouth Police after they received an anonymous letter alleging criminal activity at the Plymouth Community Intermediate School, Cruz said.
The letter alleged that a person had been stealing commercial equipment and food products from the school, Cruz said. The alleged stolen property is owned by the Town of Plymouth and was paid for by the U.S. Federal Government.
Plymouth Police immediately launched an investigation, which identified the suspect as VanCott, director of Plymouth Public Schools Food Services.
As director, VanCott was the sole person with the authority to place orders for the cafeteria.
VanCott also runs the Snack Shack at Sandy Neck Beach in Barnstable.
'VanCott's food orders consisted of premium Angus hamburgers, hot dogs, lobster meat, and other food products that were not served to students or school staff,' Cruz said Friday.
On April 4, VanCott is alleged to have taken two under-the-counter commercial refrigerators.
Surveillance video shows VanCott at the school on a Saturday loading one of the refrigerators onto a town truck and departing. VanCott then returned to the school in his personal pickup truck and loaded the second refrigerator into his own vehicle, Cruz said.
A review of video taken from the Massachusetts State Police Fusion Center cameras located on the Sagamore Bridge showed VanCott's personal truck cross the bridge with the small refrigerator secured on the rear truck bed, Cruz said.
As a result, VanCott was placed on administrative leave from Plymouth Public Schools.
'Earlier this week, the Plymouth Public Schools learned about serious allegations concerning a staff member's inappropriate use of District property for personal benefit,' Plymouth Public Schools Superintendent Christopher Campbell said in a statement.
'District leadership took swift and appropriate action under its internal policies, and the staff member is no longer performing any responsibilities within the school system,' Campbell said.
'This matter is currently under active police investigation and also involves internal personnel processes,' Campbell said. 'To protect the integrity of these proceedings, the District will not be issuing further comments at this time.'
As part of their investigation, police conducted numerous interviews, reviewed surveillance video, and analyzed cafeteria financial documents.
The investigation alleges that for years, once a week between Memorial Day and Labor Day, VanCott ordered cafeteria employees to slice two bags of deli turkey and one bag of ham, place them in a box inside the refrigerator with the initials 'PVC' written on them.
Others reported to investigators they witnessed VanCott take condiments, snacks, paper goods, coffee, and other items from the kitchen.
A list of items that were purchased by VanCott but not currently in the Plymouth Public Schools storage facility was compiled totaling over $8,300 in goods. Cruz said the items include but are not limited to:
Refrigerated sandwich table - $1,700
2 Fry Pans - $96
Convection oven - $850
Undercounter freezer - $1,700
Microwave - $299
Bagel warmer - $294
Cuisinart coffee maker - $84
On Wednesday, Plymouth Police with the assistance of Barnstable Police executed a search warrant at the Snack Shack.
They located a 28-foot industrial-sized refrigerator, bins, government-issued food, a coffee maker, blackboards, and other items, Cruz said. VanCott was taken into custody.
'We want to reassure our community that Plymouth Public Schools is committed to maintaining a safe, ethical, and professional environment,' said Campbell, the schools superintendent.
The investigation is ongoing by Plymouth Police.
VanCott is next scheduled to appear in court on July 21.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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