East Haven School Board Member Quits But Not One Facing Prison

EAST HAVEN, CT - A member of the East Haven Board of Education recently resigned, but it isn’t the one facing serious prison time for fraud charges. Republican John Finkle has not resigned from the board, according to Republican Town Chair Bob Parente - even though Finkle wasn’t at the last meeting.

The person who has resigned is Democrat Christine Maisano. According to the Town Charter, it is up to Mayor Joseph Maturo to pick a member of the same party to replace anyone who resigns the school board.

Asked about replacing Maisano, Maturo said: “I have not decided yet to appoint anyone. Since it is so close to election, I may not pick anyone.”

Asked about Finkle’s status, Maturo answered: “As far as I know, Finkle is still a member.”

Parente confirmed that, saying: “At this point Mr. Finkle has not resigned.”

The point may soon be moot as Finkle, who has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud related to a scheme to defraud an Illinois-based company for which he worked of millions of dollars, is scheduled for sentencing in October.

Finkle, who at one point was a mayoral candidate in East Haven and the former chair of the school boards, is free on $500,000 bond. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 8, at which time Finkle faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Finkle was employed by an Illinois-based supplier of electronic components (“Company A”). Between approximately February 2015 and December 2018, Finkle conspired with Kenneth Pedroli to defraud Company A through a scheme involving purchases of electronic components that Pedroli made from Company A for a business he operated in Islandia, New York, federal officials said.

As part of the scheme, Finkle instructed Pedroli to place his orders and list prices at a fraction of Company A’s published prices, officials said. After Pedroli’s orders were submitted to Company A at the discounted prices, the products were shipped from Company A to Pedroli, officials said. Finkle instructed Pedroli to pay only a portion of the invoiced price and to make the payments directly to Finkle, which Pedroli did, federal authorities say.

After Finkle deposited the payments into his personal checking account, and provided a portion of the funds to another Company A employee who manipulated the accounting records of Company A to make it appear that Pedroli had paid Company A for the products he received, officials say.

The government contends that Company A was defrauded of more than $3 million through this scheme. Pedroli, of Stony Brook, New York, pleaded guilty to the same offense on April 29 and awaits sentencing.