PEABODY, Mass. — Mark Kini was looking for Boston Chauffer’s next office manager. The position was listed with a salary range of around $72,000 a year and called for a trustworthy hire who could manage the company’s finances amongst other important roles.
“Her resume was exceptional, she was sharp, she was articulate, the had a great background story, Kini recalled.
It wasn’t until after he sent the candidate an offer letter, pending she passed the background and references checks, that his team made the discovery this woman had a past of stealing millions of dollars from previous employers.
“I was flabbergasted that we were about to offer a position to this woman who could in theory bankrupt our company,” Greg Hawes, the Director of Operations for Boston Chauffeur said.
“This woman was a career felon and had stolen large amounts of money from companies. $1.2 million from a company in Ipswich Massachusetts, $700,000 or $800,000 from another employer and then $100,000 from a small painting company in Everett,” Kini added.
When Kini reached out to the District Attorney’s Office, he says he was told this is exactly the kind of position the woman isn’t allowed to work.
“The District Attorney’s Office replied that this is exactly the kind of job she shouldn’t be pursuing or applying for. She’s not even allowed to operate a cash register,” he said.
That’s when he also learned she was participating in the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office Pre-Release Program and Electric Monitoring Program.
It’s an initiative created in 2021 that is meant to help reintroduce women serving sentences into the community.
The Sheriff’s Office writing to Boston 25 news.
“After a period of time at the Pre-Release Center, women may be considered for the MSO’s Work Release Program and Electronic Monitoring Program (EMP). As part of their re-entry preparations, EMP participants are allowed to live at home or another approved location under GPS supervision and are subject to both routine and random checks at their residences and approved places of employment by MSO staff. Individuals who fail to comply with EMP rules are subject to removal from the program and return to a higher level of custodial security.”
In a statement directly from the program, it’s explained...“We are aware of questions recently raised regarding an individual participating in our Electronic Monitoring Program (EMP). While we cannot speak to the details of any specific individual, EMP rules require that all employment be approved by the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office before any participant can begin work with any employer. In every instance, an employment review is performed by EMP Officers to determine whether a job and location are appropriate prior to approval being granted for employment. No new employment was approved through the EMP during the months of February and March.”
Kini says he sent the individual her offer letter at the end of January and she would have started in February.
“Scary. Very, very scary, he reacted.
Officials behind the program are now confirming they’ll be taking a closer look at the program.
“...we will continue to evaluate the Electronic Monitoring Program to ensure it is operating within established parameters because maintaining the trust of the public, community partners, and potential employers is critical to the success of our rehabilitative programs and re-entry initiatives.”
As for Kini, he just doesn’t want this happening to another business owner.
“I was blown away that the state could be so lenient. I’m all about giving people second chances, but you also need to protect the business owner. To think I’ve built this company to where it is today and I’m very blessed and grateful that I’ve been successful, to think it could be gone overnight by hiring the wrong employee was a huge wakeup moment. That’s why i reached out to you and pursued this to try and protect another business owner,” Kini said.
A spokesperson from the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office says the woman remains in custody at this time and legally they cannot specify whether or not she was returned to a higher level of custody because of this incident.
The incident also remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
