Guilty plea expected in Sandy Hook charity fraud case

By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) - A Tennessee man charged last year with using a fake charity to steal money following the December 2012 shooting deaths of 20 children and six adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut has agreed to enter a guilty plea.

Robert Bruce, a personal trainer from Nashville facing six wire fraud charges, will appear on May 12 in the federal court in Hartford, Connecticut for a change-of-plea hearing, court records show.

It was not immediately clear to which charges Bruce might admit guilt. His lawyer Todd Bussert did not immediately respond on Thursday to requests for comment. A spokesman for U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly in Connecticut declined to comment.

Bruce was accused of defrauding victims through 26.4.26, a charity he created and whose stated mission was to "provide funding for the families of victims, memorials for teacher heroes and to increase safety in schools across the country."

Prosecutors said Bruce solicited donations via eBay Inc's PayPal service tied to athletic events he promoted through social media, including a "Schools 4 Schools" run in New Hampshire and "Cross Fit Cares" in Tennessee.

But rather than use proceeds as promised, Bruce used most to enrich himself and support his personal training business, prosecutors said. Bruce was indicted in February 2015 and entered a not guilty plea the next month.

The Sandy Hook shooter, Adam Lanza, committed suicide after killing his victims.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Tom Brown)

---

Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!

---

You May Also Be Interested In

• US rights advocates welcome 'Alligator Alcatraz' closure, say systemic worries remain
• Israel, Lebanon sign initial agreement after US-mediated talks
• Russian drone strike kills two in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, governor says