DA's office investigates missing money

Date: 5/3/2011

May 4, 2011

By Debbie Gardner

Assistant Editor

WESTFIELD — Hampden County District Attorney Mark Mastroianni confirmed last Thursday that his office is now involved in the investigation of missing funds at Westfield's City Hall.

Citing the ongoing nature of the investigation, Mastroianni could not confirm the amount of funds nor the city department involved. Previously published reports indicated the funds, speculated to be as much as $60,000, were missing from the city's tax collector's office.

Mastroianni said his office received the request to become involved in the investigation approximately two weeks ago.

"Like any allegation or investigation that involves financial improprieties or mismanagement that's allegedly occurred, [the investigation] usually begins when a town or city begins their own investigation," he said. "The local police picked up on it and then I was asked to review the file."

Mastroianni said the most difficult aspect of reviewing the Westfield case was the amount of information involved.

"Financial investigations are more paper oriented and it just takes longer to put things together to analyze them," he said.