The former chief executive officer of the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Corporation has been sentenced to a year in prison for misusing company funds.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said 62-year-old Drew Rankin was sentenced Tuesday for his part in planning, organizing and directing lavish trips outside the state.
According to court testimony, Rankin and other members of the Board of Directors organized trips to the Kentucky Derby in 2015 and 2016, and to a luxury golf course in West Virginia. The trips weren't for company business and were intended to "personally benefit, compensate and reward Rankin, CMEEC board members, their family members, friends and associates."
Costs for the trips totaled more than $800,000 and included travel expenses, private chartered flights, first-class hotel accommodations, meals, tickets to sporting events, golf fees, souvenirs and gifts, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
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Rankin allegedly underreported the costs of the trips and left out names of attendees who were not employees or board members. Officials said he made other false statements about how the trips were funded.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said restitution will be determined after more court proceedings. Rankin, who was released on a $100,000 bond, will have to report to prison on July 11.
Two other people connected to the case are expected to face sentencing over the next few days.
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The CMEEC is a cooperative public corporation that permits municipal electric utilities in the state to join together to furnish electric power in their areas of operation.
The FBI and other state agencies are investigating.
