Beachcomber Con Man's Ex-Wife Admits To Misleading Investigators

BOSTON, MA — The ex-wife of the man who allegedly ran a scam to sell the Beachcomber and has been avoiding authorities for two decades has pleaded guilty to charges against her.

Cecily Sturge, 70, of Delray Beach, Florida, has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Boston to making a materially false statement to a federal agent concerning the whereabouts of Scott Wolas. Sentencing is scheduled for April 18 at 2:30 p.m.

Prosecutors say Sturge was lying when she told investigators in 2016 she hadn't been in contact with her ex-husband, Wolas, for about 15 years.

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Wolas allegedly raised more than $1.5 million for the purchase and redevelopment of the Beachcomber and the construction of a single-family home on the adjacent property on Quincy Shore Drive, allegedly promising investors to pay out at least 125 percent of the profits related to the single-family home construction.

When the closing day came on Sept. 15, 2016, Wolas was nowhere to be found after leaving town a week earlier. Police say he was last seen at the JFK/UMass train station in Dorchester.

Wolas was arrested last April and faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss for wire fraud charges. An aggravated identity theft charge carries a minimum term of two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

According to court documents, Wolas is in the process of working on a plea agreement.

Materials from the Associated Press were used in this story.

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