State Corrections Security Specialist Arrested for Buying Personal Ammo with Prison Funds

Gerald J. Masso, 53, a security specialist for the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, has been charged with two felony counts of fraudulent conversion after he allegedly bought more than $4,600 worth of ammunition for himself using a corrections department line of credit.

The investigation began in March after a request by DOC Director A.T. Wall into misconduct in the department. 

Masso, an 18-year veteran of the department, reportedly used the line of credit at a police supply company to buy the ammo. In Sept. of 2012, he used the credit to buy $1,553 worth of ammunition; in January of 2013, he bought $3,128 worth of ammunition.

He was arraigned in Third Division District Court and was released on $10,000 personal recognizance and is due to return to court on Sept. 11 for a prearrangement conference.

The investigation, which was conducted by state police detectives and inspectors from the DOC, included a review of business records, emails and computer data.

"We appreciate the assistance that the Rhode Island State Police have provided by working closely with our Internal Affairs office on this investigation," Wall said in a statement.

The penalty for a person convicted of felony fraudulent conversion is a fine of not more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) or three (3) times the value of the money or property fraudulently converted, whichever is greater, or imprisonment for not more than twenty (20) years, or both.

Masso is one of several high ranking officials at the ACI to fall under scrutiny after it was revealed that he and others participated in a seance at the prison on state time.

The seance was led by a corrections officer who calls herself "The Mystical Medium." She reportedly was called in after completing an overnight shift and originally thought she was in trouble. Instead, she reported that she was asked to to perform psychic readings, which reportedly lasted for two hours.

Immediately upon learning of the seance, Wall ordered four employees to be put on administrative leave, including Masso, during an internal investigation, saying "this matter has become a distraction to the work of this agency" at the time.

Some of the officials who attended the psychic reading include Robert Vitale, warden of the DOC's central office; Masso; and David McCauley, assistant director.