Press Release  Former Group Insurance Commission Finance Director Indicted in Connection with Stealing More than $122,000

Boston — The former Director of the Finance Division of the Group Insurance Commission has been indicted in connection with allegedly stealing more than $122,000 from the agency, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

Ennio Manto, age 52, of Braintree, was indicted today by a statewide grand jury on two charges of Larceny over $250 and one count of Conflict of Interest. He will be arraigned at a later date.

“This defendant allegedly stole money that was meant to provide health insurance and other benefits to state employees,” said AG Healey. “Our office will not tolerate those who abuse their positions for their own personal gain.”

The Group Insurance Commission (GIC) is a quasi-independent state agency that provides and administers health insurance and other benefits to the Commonwealth’s employees and retirees. Prior to his termination from GIC in December 2015, Manto was the Director of the Finance Division.

Authorities allege that between March and June 2015, Manto made two wire transfers to a beneficiary, Seaport Equity, a company owned by Manto. An accountant at GIC discovered a wire payment in June 2015 for $72,342.83 that could not be reconciled with the GIC’s statements and internal documents. Manto allegedly acknowledged that he made the transfer, claiming it was a payment to a health plan administrator for a nonstandard report. Later, the accountant discovered that the required payment was for a different amount and not due for another year.

Upon learning that the wire transfer was being looked into, Manto allegedly altered the original printout of the wire transfer by cutting out information related to Seaport Equity and taping in information about the health plan administrator. These documents were later found in a GIC recycling bin. The contract documents that Manto had given to the accountant as backup documentation for the wire transfer had also allegedly been altered.

Authorities allege that further investigation revealed that Manto made an additional unauthorized wire transfer from the GIC’s funds to Seaport Equity in March 2015 for $50,000.

"I want to commend the GIC's employees who discovered the conduct in question and brought it to the attention of the GIC's leadership, who then immediately alerted the Attorney General's office,” said Ray A. Campbell, Interim GIC Executive Director. “The GIC will continue to cooperate fully with the investigation."

These charges are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Erika Anderson of AG Healey’s White Collar and Public Integrity Division. This case was investigated by Daniel DeAngelis of AG Healey’s Financial Investigations Division, investigators from the AG’s Cyber Crime Division, and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the AG’s Office.

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