CT Housing Exec Charged With $16.2 Million Loan Fraud

Robert Cappelletti, the former executive director of the Meriden Housing Authority (MHA), has been indicted on nine counts of fraud and money laundering by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut. Cappelletti, who served as executive director from 2009 to 2025 and also sat on the board of the Maynard Road Corp., a nonprofit affiliated with MHA, is accused of orchestrating an unauthorized $16.2 million loan in 2022. Prosecutors allege that Cappelletti took out this substantial loan purportedly on behalf of the Maynard Road Corp. but without the necessary authorization from either the MHA or the Maynard Road Corp.'s board of directors. The indictment details that Cappelletti issued a promissory note for the Maynard Road Corp. and then personally guaranteed it on behalf of the MHA, bypassing the required board approvals for both entities. Following the unauthorized loan, Cappelletti allegedly diverted a portion of the funds for personal use. Specific expenditures detailed in the indictment include $450,000 transferred to a personal brokerage account, over $374,000 used for mortgage payments on his private residence, and additional funds spent on personal travel expenses charged to credit cards. To cover the unauthorized loan, Cappelletti is accused of initiating a series of wire transfers totaling approximately $1 million from the Groton Housing Authority and its subsidiary limited liability companies. He reportedly informed the Groton Housing Authority that these payments were connected to an upcoming bond for a development project in Groton and would be reimbursed. To substantiate this fabricated narrative, Cappelletti allegedly created forged invoices and presented them to the Groton Housing Authority. John Burt, the Groton Town Manager, commented on the proceedings, stating, "It has been a long process, and I’m glad we have reached the next step in allowing the facts to come to light." The Meriden Housing Authority serves the communities of Meriden and Groton, Connecticut, and the Maynard Road Corp. undertakes redevelopment projects on its behalf. Cappelletti, a resident of Middlebury, CT, has pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on bail. The investigation and subsequent indictment highlight significant alleged financial misconduct within a public housing authority.