Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced today that Paul Mahfouz (age 47), of 215 Judson Street, Raynham, MA, was sentenced to five years, with six months to serve and the remainder suspended with probation, for embezzling more than $5,000 from the Rhode Island Lottery and for unlawful appropriation in an unrelated incident. In addition, Mahfouz was ordered to pay full restitution in the total amount of $36,064.20. Mahfouz was found guilty by a Providence County Superior Court jury on April 22, 2105 in a trial presided over by Superior Court Justice Luis M. Matos.
During the course of the trial, the State proved that Mahfouz embezzled $5,064.20 from the Rhode Island Lottery when he took funds that he held in trust for the lottery as a retail agent and used them for his own use. The defendant was the owner of the Elmwood Shell station on Elmwood Avenue in Providence. The matter was initially investigated by the Rhode Island Lottery and turned over to the Office of Attorney General for prosecution.
In addition, the State proved that Mahfouz unlawfully took $31,000 from Elie Antoun for the particular purpose of selling him a state motor vehicle inspection machine. The defendant never delivered the machine to Mr. Antoun and kept the $31,000 for his own use. The matter was investigated by Rhode Island Police Trooper Amy Jackman.
Special Assistant Attorneys General Carole L. McLaughlin and Ryan Stys prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.
Judge Matos granted a stay of execution and the defendant is to surrender himself for execution of sentence on July 13, 2015 at Providence Superior Court.