Crime & Safety
Probation for Kai's Village Charity Co-Founder
Andrea Merrill had been accused of stealing from a Grafton charity that contributes to families of children who have serious illnesses.
A Grafton woman who was charged with stealing from Kai's Village, a charity she helped set up for a local toddler, has received probation after admitting to sufficient facts to larceny from the charity.
Andrea Merrill, 34, of Grafton, admitted to sufficient facts for a guilty finding for one count of larceny of $250, the Telegram & Gazette reported. Merrill had been accused of stealing $9,600 from Kai's Village, a charitable organization set up to collect funds, initially for the family of a young boy who was stricken with a brain tumor, and which now contributes funds to families of children with serious illnesses.
Kerri L. Rezendes, who founded Kai’s Village in memory of her 2-year-old son, was identified as the victim in court paperwork.
Kai Rezendes died in December 2012.
Westboro District Court Judge Vito Virzi sentenced Merrill to two years' supervised probation. Merrill's lawyer said mix-ups occurred between his client's use of her personal PayPal account and Kai's Village account, and when the problem was brought to her attention, she made full restitution, the Telegram reported.
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