SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Former Springfield golf professional Kevin Kennedy and local home builders Kent and Jason Pecoy pleaded not guilty on all counts in federal court in Springfield Thursday.

A 35-page indictment handed down in December charged Kennedy with multiple offenses, including embezzlement of city funds, tax fraud, conspiring to defraud the United States, and money laundering. The same indictment charged Kent and Jason with conspiring to defraud the United States.

A superseding indictment returned Thursday additionally charged Kent and Kennedy with providing a false statement to a federally insured financial institution.

All were released on conditions that they:

  • Do not change residences without notification
  • Report to probation as required
  • Request permission/notify probation before traveling out of Massachusetts
  • Do not violate any federal, state or local laws
  • Do not sell or financially encumber his residence in West Dennis (Kennedy)
  • Surrender firearms (Pecoys)

Their next court date is set for March 17.

Kennedy, 41, owned and operated Kennedy Golf Management Inc. (KGM), through which he managed the City of Springfield’s two public golf courses, Franconia Golf Course and Veterans Memorial Golf Course. From 2010 to 2016, it is alleged he embezzled green fees and cart fees that were due to the city by stealing cash from the city’s cash register and diverting payments to KGM terminals. In addition, the indictment accuses Kennedy of underreporting the golf courses’ daily activity and providing fraudulent records to the City that underreported the golf courses’ daily activity and revenues. 

Read the entire Kennedy, Pecoy and Pecoy indictment –>Download

The state department of justice further alleges Kennedy used the stolen cash to pay for personal expenditures, including building homes in East Longmeadow and West Dennis, and failed to report the income on his tax returns from 2010 to 2014.

The federal indictment also accuses Kennedy of conspiring with Kent and Jason Pecoy — owner and project manager of Kent Pecoy and Sons Construction Inc. (KPSC) — to obstruct and impede the IRS and the collection of taxes by hiding Kennedy’s cash payments for construction of the East Longmeadow and West Dennis homes. The state department of justice says rather than depositing the cash into business bank accounts, the Pecoys distributed most of the cash directly to vendors and subcontractors. The indictment further alleges that when cash was deposited into business accounts, the Pecoys deposited less than $10,000 to avoid the filing of currency transaction reports as required by the IRS.

A superseding indictment returned Thursday charged Kennedy and Kent with an additional charge of making false statements to a federally insured institution. The superseding indictment alleges the two made false statements to Charles Schwab Bank on a loan to Kennedy and his wife for the construction of a residence in East Longmeadow in an attempt to conceal a $160,000 cash down payment. The false statements allegedly included understating the sale price of the residence lot, the price of the construction, and the deposit and earnest money paid by Kennedy. 

The City of Springfield terminated its golf course contract with Kennedy Golf Management on November 20, 2016.

Statements

I plan to vigorously defend myself and am confident I shall be exonerated of these charges. I built two homes in 2009 and 2013 for a client who paid for the work partially in cash and partially by check. I sought advice and was informed that it was legal to accept cash payments. I paid taxes on all the net income including the cash, and after investigation by the IRS was not charged with any offense related to my personal taxes or that of Kent Pecoy Homes.

I am being accused by the government of entering into an agreement with the individual to handle the receipt of the cash in a way that would help enable him to avoid paying his taxes on that money—the source of which I was unaware. I categorically deny that such an agreement ever existed.

Over the past three decades, I have built a reputation for integrity while employing hundreds of people, hiring hundreds of subcontractors, purchasing millions of dollars of supplies and have been responsible for generating millions of dollars, which has found its way to the local economy. This matter will not affect the work of Pecoy Homes and our team will continue to provide our clients and partners with the high-quality homebuilding services they have demanded and come to expect.

Kent Pecoy

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