Man Pleads Guilty to Scamming Sandy Hook Charity He Created to Assist Victims Families

SANDY HOOK, CT — A Nashville, Tenn. man pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud stemming from donations he received for a Sandy Hook charity, federal authorities announced Thursday.

Robert Terry Bruce, 35, accepted contributions to an organization he established after the Sandy Hook School shootings on Dec. 14, 2012 but instead of using the money for good, prosecutors said a majority of the funds raised went toward his own personal expenses.

Between $73,000 to $103,000 raised was not accounted for, the Hartford Courant reports. The charity was created specifically for people who run marathons so that they could raise money while running in memory of the 26 victims.

The first marathon was held a week after the shootings and raised $30,000, the Courant reports.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Bruce founded the 26.4.26 Foundation, an organization that began “to help raise funds for increased school safety, families of victims, memorials to teacher heroes, awareness and prevention in schools across America," according to the foundation.

The U.S. District Attorney said instead of using the funds collected for the purpose of helping Sandy Hook families Bruce used most of the funds for personal reasons and also to support his personal training business, the news release states.

Bruce told Judge Alvin Thompson that he started the foundation to “effectuate change” and said he was touched by the outpouring of goodwill, according to The Associated Press.

He also told the court that he spent three months in an in-patient treatment center getting help for a substance-abuse problem, but said nothing excuses his conduct.

“I deeply regret what I did and the impact it had on other people,” he said.

Bruce was arrested on February 13, 2015 and has been released on a $20,000 bond. He could face eight to 18 months in prison when he is sentenced on Aug. 30.

Read the full Associated Press story here.

Read the full Hartford Courant story here.