A former Connecticut real estate developer whose financial fraud reached across the globe is scheduled to be sentenced Monday in federal court, the U.S. Attorney’s office says.
Robert V. Matthews, 65, is expected to be sent to prison for money laundering and tax evasion. The charges stem from “multiple schemes to defraud foreign investors and financial institutions,” federal officials say, with losses to the victims topping $30 million.
“These frauds were widespread and brazen,” U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery and Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont Jr. wrote in court documents.
A former developer in Waterbury and New Haven, Matthews has ties to former Waterbury Mayor Joseph Santopietro and former Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland — both of whom were convicted on corruption charges. Matthews was questioned by authorities investigating both politicians, but never was arrested in the cases, according to the New York Times.
Matthews also socialized with more widely known personalities, like Bill and Hillary Clinton, who visited his house during a charitable fundraiser in 1999, according to court documents.
There were no allegations stemming from the fundraiser, but 20 years later, on April 25, 2019, Matthews and his now-ex-wife, Maria “Mia” Matthews, pleaded guilty to tax evasion in U.S. District Court in Bridgeport.
Robert Matthews also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud and illegal money transactions. COVID-19 played a role in the sentencing delay, said Tom Carson, U.S. Attorney spokesperson.
Matthews’ maximum sentence could be as much as 45 years in prison, but guidelines call for him to be sentenced to 155 to 188 months, or 13 to 15 years, Carson said. The judge may go above or below the range, he said.