Worker at local daycare accused of stealing from parents in elaborate scheme

WEYMOUTH, Mass. -- A man who works for a local daycare is facing charges involving an embezzlement scheme.

Demetris Pringle is charged with using a scheme to steal money from parents who thought they were paying for daycare.

Weymouth Police say Pringle, who is the enrollment directors for the Stars daycare program, managed to get dozens of parents to set up automatic payments to a bogus account he created called Stars United LLC.

The parents thought they were paying South Shore Stars Program.

Police say Pringle told the parents they were getting a special rate, but they could not tell other families.

Police say Pringle would then underreport the parent's income to the state and get them full daycare benefits so he could pocket what they initially paid him.

"We are certainly planning a vigorous defense against these allegations and all that will come out in due time," said Pringle's attorney, Brad Bailey.

Pringle has been working at the daycare for about three years. Stars is working with police and an auditor to try to pinpoint how much money was taken. They believe it will be hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Cox Media Group