Life Focus Center, Charlestown Residents, Respond to Auditor's Report

The Charlestown-based Life Focus Center says that it is working to update its accounting practices following a State Auditor's report that showed that employees of the group had been misusing public funds for personal gain.

Justine Griffin, who spoke for the nonprofit Monday, said that the group failed to keep hard copies of certain documents, and didn't have sufficient management of higher-level employees' time sheets.

The group is working with the Attorney General's office to repair those deficiencies, Griffin said, and is also updating its guidelines on the composition of the nonprofit's board and how frequently that board meets.

But Charlestown residents had harsh responses for some of the details revealed in a Boston Herald article.

Michael Ford, commenting on the Charlestown Patch Facebook Page, called those who had benefitted "a disgusting group of people." Another Charlestown Patch reader, calling himself "Lou," suggested that should produce a reality show about the group and call it "Swindler's List."

As explained in a Boston Herald article, "Agency Executive Director Jack Millerick — whose compensation package topped $171,000 in 2010 — charged more than $123,000 on the nonprofit’s credit card in fiscal 2009 and 2010, the audit revealed.

The charges included:

•    $44 at Pooh Corner in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

•    $52 at the Apple store in Orlando, Fla.

•    $52 at a New Hampshire liquor store.

•    $201 at S&S Restaurant in Cambridge."

The article also quotes State Auditor Suzanne Bump, who said, "It’s horrifying to think that money that is supposed to go to severely disabled people would instead be benefiting the administrators of this program. It’s hard to accept the executive director’s explanation that purchases at out-of-state restaurants, including the New Hampshire liquor store and the Walt Disney World Resort, had any connection to program supplies for the disabled clients.”

Other sticking points were also included in the press release from Bump's office, where it's explained that, "Furthermore, for three years of part-time work, the LFC paid its Staff Director’s husband, whos [sic] invoices indicated that he often worked from his home, $183,008 as a consultant to function primarily as a grants writer. In that time the LFC only received $9,284 in grants and the staff Director’s husband failed to adequately document what services were provided and the hours he actually worked."

In a Channel 7 News story Bump also added, “There are a lot of questions about this organization’s willingness to play by the rules," and the Life Focus Center made an official statement.

They told Channel 7, "While we have been successful in our non-profit mission and are proud of our work, we clearly have made mistakes in our financial and reporting measures. We have worked with the auditors office for several months to address those errors and we are committed to returning any money that has been mistakenly charged to the state."

Charlestown Patch , when we published a press release from them about their planned renovations of the Charlestown Veterans Memorial Park, a move that taxpayers might support, but that doesn't seem to fit with their mission "to provide people with disabilities and their family members the tools and support to live a productive, fulfilling life in an integrated community environment."

Agencies that serve people with disabilities in other states have also come under fire for improper spending; a New York Times story in December shined a spotlight on Brooklyn's Human Care Services for Families and Children agency, where the executive director's $400,000 salary is paid by Medicaid funds.