A Quincy, Mass., real estate broker pleaded not guilty Thursday to nine charges, including money laundering and forgery, for what prosecutors say is the theft of $800,000 from deposit checks.
Michael P. Flavin pleaded not guilty to two counts of identity fraud, three counts of forgery of a document, and one count each of larceny over $250, uttering a false writing, money laundering by transaction and money laundering through organizing, supervision, finance or management, according to online court records. A Norfolk County grand jury indicted him on Wednesday.
Norfolk District Attorney's Office Spokesman David Traub said Flavin's bail was set at $10,000 and he was ordered to be fit with a GPS bracelet if he posted the money.
Flavin's attorney, Steven Boozang, said Flavin was able to post the bail
Assistant District Attorney Philip Burr said in a statement of the case filed in Norfolk Superior Court that in 2018, Flavin worked at a real estate brokerage in Quincy. He contracted to sell several of the properties owned by the brokerage, even though he did not own or manage them and they were not for sale and he forged the company's manager's names on the purchase and sales agreements, Burr said.
The prospective buyer gave Flavin an $80,000 deposit check, which Flavin cashed at a South Boston check cashing business, Burr said.
"Police were notified when the defendant used the identity of a Quincy Fire Department official and altered a Quincy Fire Department inspection certificate in an effort to delay the expected closing on the properties," Burr said.
From January 2019 to June 2019, Flavin cashed over $800,000 he received in deposit checks for Quincy properties that were supposed to go into escrow accounts, instead cashing them at the South Boston check cashing business, Burr said.
"Because the brokerage was either never engaged to sell any of the properties, or was in fact working with other legitimate buyers and sellers, the 'deposits' taken by the defendant were never expected or missed by his employer," Burr said.
Flavin said he had no comment.
Boozang said his client is a dedicated family man.
"They are what they are, simply charges," Boozang said. "He's been a pillar of the community his whole life."
Boozang said they will fight the charges.
"We'll have our day in court," he said.
His next court date is Oct. 21.
