Jury Convicts Former Boston Center For Adult Education Executive For Embezzling And Forging Documents
The former Executive Director of the Boston Center for Adult Education (BCAE), Susan Brown, was found guilty by a Suffolk County jury on charges of embezzlement and forgery, according to District Attorney Kevin Hayden. Brown, who is 70 years old and from Marblehead, was convicted of four counts including larceny, forgery, and falsifying corporate records, and was be sentenced on November 9, 2023. Evidence presented by Assistant District Attorney Jodi Greenburg of the Special Prosecutions Unit revealed that Brown had filed fabricated tax forms and other documents with the IRS, resulting in the BCAE losing its tax-exempt status. She also paid her co-defendant, Karen Kalifan, $80,000 per year for seven years for marketing services that were never provided, leading to a loss of $565,000 for the organization. Kalifan, also from Marblehead, was found not guilty of receiving stolen property. Additionally, Mark Mitchell, the BCAE’s former comptroller, had also embezzled approximately $1.3 million from the center and was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty.
Unfortunately, the BCAE has suffered significant losses from these embezzlement schemes, resulting in the organization being unable to offer its classes and programs for the first time in its 90-year history. Hayden expressed his disappointment with the defendants’ actions, acknowledging the harm they caused to the BCAE and the community it served. He commended the dedication of the Special Prosecutions Unit in bringing justice to those responsible for betraying the trust of the organization and its constituents.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office represents and serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, handling over 20,000 cases each year. With more than 160 attorneys practicing in various courts, the office is committed to educating the public and providing services to anyone involved with the criminal justice system, ultimately working to keep the residents of Suffolk County safe.
