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8-01-2025 8:49am
Former Medfield Official Sentenced for Stealing, Enriching Himself from Municipal Funds
Darlene Cancell
Editor
Former Medfield Parks and Recreation Director Kevin Ryder has been sentenced by Norfolk County Superior Court to 2.5 years in the House of Correction for stealing over $100,000 in town funds and exploiting his public position to enrich himself, announced the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO) from Boston on Thursday, July 31st.
Mr. Ryder pled guilty to eight charges. The judge in the case has ordered the 51 year old resident of Medfield to serve six months, with the remaining sentence suspended for three years. As a condition of his probation, Ryder must pay restitution to the Town of Medfield and refrain from any employment in a fiduciary role while on probation.
The AGO’s investigation found that Mr. Ryder stole about $125,000, mainly in cash generated from entrance fees and concessions at Medfield Hinkley Swim Pond. Additionally, the investigation found that he sold thousands of dollars’ worth of Town-purchased youth sports equipment, while keeping all sales proceeds for himself. He also allegedly used the Town of Medfield's Amazon business account to purchase thousands of dollars’ worth of personal items for himself, including electronic equipment to resell on eBay for his personal profit.
Mr. Ryder is also accused of arranging for the Parks and Recreation Department to sponsor an exercise program at a local gym for which he received 50% of profits from the event, totaling over $16,000.
Following the Town of Medfield’s suspicions that Mr. Ryder was failing to turn over cash his department had collection for a number of years, it contacted the AGO and cooperated with the AGO’s investigation into Mr. Ryder’s activities. In 2023, Mr. Ryder was indicted on the following charges: 4 counts of Larceny over $1,200 by Scheme, 1 count of Larceny under $1200, 1 count of accepting illegal gratuities, and 2 counts of use of official position to secure an unwarranted privilege.
Mr. Ryder was Medfield’s Parks and Recreation Department Director from 2014 until August 2022.
