Medford Man Became 'Significant Other' Then Swindled Women Out of Six Figures

A Medford man was convicted Tuesday of conning individuals out of over $400,000, prosecutors said in a press release.

Pasqualino Spadorcia, 42, led at least three people to believe he was a close friend or "significant other" then convinced them to lend him thousands of dollars, write him blank checks and open a business that he siphoned funds from, District Attorney Gerry Leone said in press release.

Spadorcia told authorities he lost much of the money he stole gambling, the press release said.

 “The various imaginative, intentional and purposeful lies this defendant told in order to obtain money from these victims amounted to a devious scheme," Leone said in a written statement. "The investigation revealed that the money was never used as intended by, and promised to, the victims."

He was found guilty by a Middlesex County jury Tuesday of 12 counts, including seven counts of larceny and one count of extortion.

Spadorcia's schemes date back to March 2007, when he told a woman he had been in a relationship with for eight months that he had been arrested and needed money for bail and an attorney. The woman sent him the money, and lended him money three more times over the next year for attorneys and to help pay employees Spadorcia claimed he had in a painting business, prosecutors said.

The woman sent him $40,000 over a year, which Spadorcia later said he didn't spend on employees and actually lost gambling.

While he was receiving money from the first victim, Spadorcia began a relationship with a second woman and started borrowing money from her, which he claimed he was using to pay employees, prosecutors said.

Eleven times in 2007 the second woman lent Spadorcia money, totalling over $80,000, prosecutors said. Spadorcia also forged the woman's signature on checks and withdrew over $25,000 from her checking account, the press release said.

In September 2007, Spadorcia convinced the second woman to incorporate a business, then gained control of the mortgage for her business property and her home and divberted the money to him, prosecutors said.

He also convinced the first victim to invest in the second victims new business - along with a third person who thought they were a friend of Spadorcia. Those investments, totalling over $131,000 were diverted from the businerss to Spadorcia, prosecutors said.

Along with stealing from the business, Spadorcia also threatened the second woman into writing him blank checks, which he cashed for over $100,000 in all and pawned off jewerly worth over $7,500, prosecutors said.

Spadorcia was eventually arrested and charged after two of the victims reported the incidents to police, a district attorney spokeswoman said.

He will be sentenced Nov. 7 at Middlesex County Superior Court in Woburn.