Rhode Island Construction Manager Pleads Guilty to Stealing $200K

A former construction project manager for a real estate development company has pleaded guilty to defrauding banks, construction companies and his employer out of more than $200,000, federal prosecutors say.

Gregory Meeker, of Barrington, R.I., pleaded guilty to 12 counts of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft, the office of U.S. Attorney Andrew Weisman announced Friday.

While working at Newport, R.I.-based Landings Real Estate Group, he would submit invoices to the company, many of which were false or inflated, in the names of subcontractors, prosecutors said.

Instead of delivering the checks to the subcontractors, Meeker forged endorsements on the back of the checks and deposited them into his own bank accounts, authorities said.

Meeker is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7.