What Should the Punishment Be For Trying To Steal 2 Million Dollars From The One Fund?

BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) – A Boston man was arrested for allegedly submitting a $2.195 million claim to The One Fund Boston using his dead aunt’s name, Attorney General Martha Coakley announced Tuesday. Branden Mattier, 22, of the South End, was taken into custody at his home Tuesday when an undercover state trooper presented him with a simulated check made out for $2.195 million. He was charged with Attempted Larceny over $250 and Identity Theft. Coakley’s office says Mattier claimed his long-deceased aunt, Onevia Bradley, suffered a double amputation due to the Boston Marathon bombings. Mattier posted a photo of himself on his Instagram account with One Fund administrator Kenneth Feinberg on May 7. His caption read, “Just spoke with Feinberg about what we can provide to help the city move forward in this tragedy, he loved it.” Another photo caption read, “Big Meeting w/ The One Fund Boston, & Kenneth Feinberg, Re-Building The City After The Bombing.” Coakley’s office began investigating in June after the matter was referred by One Fund Boston due to its suspicions that Mattier’s claim was false. Mattier allegedly sent an e-mail to The One Fund asking if his aunt could make a claim as a double amputee if the amputation was expected to be performed in the future. The One Fund received Mattier’s claim form, along with a letter allegedly from the chief of trauma services at the Boston Medical Center, affirming his aunt as a double amputee. However, Boston Medical Center officials said Mattier’s aunt never received treatment at the hospital in connection with the bombings nor did the letter originate from the trauma center. The investigation further revealed Bradley had actually died more than 10 years earlier.

Is there anything short of a public stoning that could be deemed proper? I say no. This kid should be drawn and quartered right in the middle of Boylston. Maybe play a deadly game of hide and go seek with him in Watertown. Because in my mind this is practically terrorism. This is the lowest of the low and you need to be an absolute scumbag to do it. It’s cold, it’s calculated, and it’s an attempt to defraud victims who have already suffered greatly. It’s INCREDIBLE that someone could stoop to this. And be so awful at it, no less. Like this kid heard about the fundraising and thought “oh nice I have a dead relative, I’ll just say she was there. I doubt they have anyone checking this stuff.” Scumbag piece of shit. Put him in stocks in Copley Square and let the citizens and victims have their way with him. That’s fair.

And I know I have to address this because of the morons who will say we did the same. If you really thought that you wouldn’t read the site still. We would never do something like this for a multitude of reasons. Namely, because we’re not the worst people in the world (although we look the part). But also because we’d never risk our sterling reputation in our home city. Believe it or not they keep a pretty close eye on this stuff.