Sorority Board Member Charged With Embezzlement

According to a press release from the Rhode Island State Police, a Massachusetts woman has been arrested and charged with embezzling from a University of Rhode Island sorority.

On Oct. 17, police announced that they arrested Tanya McGinn Paolo, 40, of 22 Anthony Circle, North Attleboro, MA, for embezzling $165,842 from the URI Iota Delta House Sorority – commonly known as Alpha Phi – while serving as president of the its corporation board from 2003 to 2009.

Paolo was also charged with obtaining money under false pretenses, greater than $1,500. Both charges are felonies.

Police said Paolo was arraigned in Washington County Superior Court and released on $5,000 personal recognizance. She is due back in court on Oct. 29 for a determination of attorney hearing. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for Nov. 19. According to online records, Paolo does not have any previous arrests in Rhode Island.

According to The Tufts Daily, Paolo was hired in September 2010 as their new Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, which would coincide roughly with when Paolo left Alpha Phi at URI. Before Tufts and URI, Paolo held similar positions at Johnson and Wales in 2007, and Bryant University.

In a follow-up article from The Tufts Daily, Paolo left the university in March 2011, with no reason given by her or university officials to the paper.

However, according to the state police press release, the first URI embezzlement complaint they received against Paolo was in March 2011.

WPRI has a video on the arrest, along with a statement from the sorority’s executive director.

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