The people who ran in a 2013 marathon in Gilford to raise money for the victims of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School were apparently duped.
The proceeds – reportedly $31,000 – generated by the local effort were donated to a Tennessee charity that allegedly used the money for its founder’s personal gain.
Robert Bruce, of Nashville, Tenn., has agreed to plead guilty to charges he stole money from the charity he created – the 26.4.26 Foundation – to benefit the people of Newtown, Conn., where a gunman killed 20 children and six educators at an elementary school in December 2012.
Bruce used a fraudulent scheme “to enrich himself and to support his personal training business,” according to the indictment handed up from a federal grand jury in Connecticut last year.
He’s scheduled to appear in federal court in Hartford, Conn., on May 12 for a change of plea hearing.
A co-founder of the charity said she notified authorities when Bruce could not account for about $73,000 of the $103,000 raised by the charity.
The principal of Gilford Elementary School, Danielle Bolduc, told the Monitor in 2013 that she had the idea to organize a marathon to benefit the victims. Then she heard about 26.4.26 and decided to ask local runners to donate directly to the foundation.
Bolduc, who didn’t return a phone call Thursday, wrote on the run’s Facebook event page that it raised $31,000 in all.
The operators of the 26.4.26 Foundation’s Facebook page explained about Bruce’s alleged actions in December 2013, when the news was first breaking.
“Due to the founder’s transgressions and misconduct we were forced to end all ability for 26.4.26 to collect money. Especially after it was revealed that foundation money was spent on personal items,” a post read. “In total 26.4.26 raised $103,000, of which only $30,000 was handed out.”
More than a year later, when Bruce was indicted, commentators on the Facebook page expressed some of their feelings about the news.
Amy Lawton wrote that she’s a teacher and the stepdaughter of one of the victims of the Sandy Hook shootings who ran in the Gilford race.
“When I get angry at Robbie Bruce,” she wrote, “I think instead of the overwhelming support and love and kindness that was present at that race. His misdeeds and his greed can’t take that away, and I choose to remember all the good things that were on display that day, and all the people who participated to show their support.”
Leigh Fenton Melia wrote that she’s a teacher and mother who ran in the Gilford race.
“I never dreamed my money wouldn’t be given to the victims,” she wrote. “There were family members of victims at the opening ceremony of that race thanking everyone for supporting the cause. What kind of person goes to those lengths to take advantage of such tragedy.”
Bruce was charged with six counts of wire fraud because six alleged victims in Connecticut understood the payments they sent via PayPal to the foundation would be used for the benefit of the people in Newtown, Conn.
Bruce represented to potential donors that “all proceeds will go to the 26.4.26 Foundation” and that the “mission of 26.4.26 is to provide funding for the families of victims, memorials for teacher heroes and to increase safety in schools across the country,” according to the indictment.
It continues: “In fact, Bruce used most of the funds he raised in connection with this event for his personal purposes.”
(Nick Reid can be reached at 369-3325, nreid@cmonitor.com or on Twitter at @NickBReid.)