By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET- — A woman who was described as being “like a daughter” to her former employer and his wife was led away in handcuffs from Superior Court on Monday afternoon to begin serving a sentence for embezzling over $540,000 from the couple’s business.

Rhonda L. Hastings, 40, was sentenced on Feb. 13 by Superior Court Judge Susan McGuirl to 20 years in prison on one count of unlawful appropriation of more than $1,000 and one count of access to a computer for the purposes of fraud.
She was ordered to serve two and a half years at the Adult Correctional Institution and two and a half years on home confinement, with the remaining 5 years suspended with probation.
According to Beryl Kenyon, spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s Office, Hastings had originally been charged with three counts, including larceny over $500--a felony. However, she pled guilty to the other two counts in December of 2008 and the felony charge was dropped.
As part of the sentencing, Hastings was also ordered to make restitution for the $540,000 once she is released from prison.
Hastings is accused of embezzling over $540,000 from her longtime employers, Joseph and Joann Pietrantonio of Johnston. She had worked as bookkeeper for the couple, who formerly owned two Dollar Depot Plus stores, one on Smithfield Avenue in Pawtucket and the other in Cumberland.
According to Joseph Pietrantonio, Hastings took the money over an approximate 20-month period. He said she began slowly, taking cash and delaying payment to vendors. She then allegedly gained unauthorized access to a $270,000 line of credit that Pietrantonio had with Bank RI, and began using it to cover the money she was embezzling, he said.
Pietrantonio said he had trusted Hastings, who had worked for him almost 20 years, including at a former gift shop business he had owned and as a store manager for the Dollar Depot Plus stores. He said he only began to notice that something was wrong when the stores’ armored car pick-ups, that had always occurred twice a week, were reduced to once a week or once every other week.

Both Joseph and Joann Pietrantonio said they had always had a close relationship with Hastings and her family. “We never had children of our own. We considered her like a daughter,” said Joann. She added that Hastings had spent some holidays with the couple and had admitted that they “were like second parents to her.”

Joann added that in 2003, Hastings told her employers that she was suffering from stage four cancer, which turned out to be untrue. The couple said she maintained a convincing ruse that included doctor visits and treatments, furthering drawing on the couple’s sympathy.

Joann Pietrantonio said the cancer story came into play frequently as the couple were catching on to the embezzlement and began to question Hastings and press her for records and explanations, Oftentimes, Joann said, when asked to supply a document, the young woman would say she felt ill from her cancer treatments and suddenly retreat to the ladies room.

The Pietrantonios said that they later found that Hastings was using the cash to support a quietly lavish lifestyle. She had moved to a farm in Holliston, MA, where she kept over 60 dogs and other livestock. She made renovations on the property, and also reportedly purchased a motorcycle and other vehicles for herself, a boyfriend a others, they said. “The money is all gone,” Joseph said. 

In addition, Joseph Pietrantonio said he discovered that Hastings was buying expensive presents for some of the other Dollar Depot Plus employees, allegedly to buy their silence. These included, he said, tickets to sporting events, limousine rides, catered parties and even a car for one individual.

The Pietrantonios said that by the time the embezzlement was discovered, so much had been stolen that they were forced to close the two Dollar Depot Plus stores. Joseph Pietrantonio said that in addition to Hastings’ actions, he also blames Bank RI personnel for not checking more carefully into the line of credit and the transactions that were taking place. He said he has lawsuits pending against both Bank RI and his accountant, who he did not name.

According to Rhode Island State Police court records, on Feb. 15, 2006, detectives from the Financial Crimes Unit, assisted by members of the Massachusetts State Police, arrested Hastings, at her home at 415 Concord St., Holliston, Mass., as a fugitive from justice due to a warrant for unlawful appropriation over $1,000. She waived extradition and was returned to Rhode Island State Police headquarters, where she had been arraigned and released on $25,000 personal recognizance.

The first count that Hastings was charged with included a misappropriation of funds that occurred between Jan. 1, 2004 and Sept. 30, 2005, according to the Attorney General’s Office. After further investigation, she was also charged with a second count of fraudulently using a computer from Jan. 1, 2005 through Sept. 30, 2005, to draw down on the line of credit in order to cover the massive shortfalls in the operating expenses and payroll for Empire Merchandising Corporation, doing business as Dollar Depot Plus.

On Monday, the Pietrantonios sat in the front row of Judge McGuirl’s courtroom to witness the execution of Hastings’ sentence. “I feel violated. I trusted this girl,” Joseph stated, just before the proceedings started. Joann added, “And she never once said she was sorry.”

Hastings, appearing with her attorney, was asked by Judge McGuirl if she wanted to address the court. She did so briefly only to thank McGurl for giving her some extra time to make child care arrangements. Then, she was placed in handcuffs and led out, offering a slight smile of acknowledgement to her father and another relative sitting in the courtroom.

When contacted about the Pietrantonio’s lawsuit against Bank RI, spokesman Stephen Hourihan said he was aware of the case but it is the bank’s corporate policy to not comment about any matters involving pending litigation.
-30-