More Details Emerge on the Theft of Funds Earmarked for Oxford

Peter M. Clark, 57, of Woodbury finally admitted what many have assumed for some time.

Clark told a Superior Court Judge earlier this week, “I used it for personal and professional use,” the Republican-American reports.

The “it” stands for almost $2 million in funds Clark spent on personal and professional items that was left to benefit the town of Oxford. The money had been left to the town by Miriam S. Strong of Oxford who died on July 2, 2010.

Clark drafted the will as Strong’s attorney and served as a witness to Strong’s execution of the will.

But more details are coming out now regarding what Clark actually did with the money.

A total of $1.6 million of Strong’s $4.3 million estate was supposed to go toward Oxford students scholarships and another $1.6 million for Oxford to use for constructing a new library and purchasing open space, the Rep-Am reports.

Instead, Clark spent $412,128 to purchase property, $4,000 on all-terrain vehicle and he gave $2,000 to his wife, the Rep-Am reports.

Clark is facing a 41-51 month period of incarceration when he is sentenced on Jan. 13. Oxford officials are hoping to recoup most of the money that was misspent.

Read the full Rep-Am story here.

Original post:

Peter M. Clark, 57, of Woodbury, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to one count of mail fraud related to his stealing more than $1.8 million from the estate of an Oxford woman who died in 2010.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Miriam S. Strong of Oxford died on July 2, 2010.

At the time of her death, Strong had a will, which left money, property and other items to a list of individuals, the Town of Oxford, the State of Connecticut and several religious and other charitable entities.

The will also called for the creation of a scholarship fund for college-bound students from Oxford. Clark drafted the will as Strong’s attorney and served as a witness to Strong’s execution of the will. A portion of the money was also to be used on a new library in Oxford.

The will named Clark and another individual as co-executors. The investigation has revealed that, during the course of the administration of the will, Clark took more than $1.8 million from Strong’s estate for his own use, federal officials said Monday.

Clark was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on May 21, 2015. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton on January 13, 2016, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a maximum fine of more than $3.6 million.

Clark also has agreed to make restitution in the amount of $1,828,986.87.

Clark is released on a $500,000 bond.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut State Police – Western District Major Crime Squad. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah P. Karwan.