Rhode Island man to appear at 9/20 hearing on computer theft scheme targeting MassChallenge

BOSTON, September 4, 2023 – A Rhode Island man will appear in court later this month on charges that he defrauded MassChallenge, a Massachusetts non-profit that assists entrepreneurs, by purchasing 142 Apple laptop computers while an employee and then stealing most of them, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

JONATHAN ALEXANDER MATEO, 38, of Riverside has been on personal recognizance since being arraigned at South Boston BMC in July on a charge of larceny over $1,200.  Mateo will return to court September 20 for a pre-trial hearing.

Between October 2020 and September 2022, while working at MassChallenge, Mateo purchased 142 Apple laptops using the organization’s American Express card.  MassChallenge in March 2023 conducted an audit and could only account for 24 of the computers. The organization attempted, to no avail, to contact Mateo, who had since left MassChallenge.  The value of the missing computers is estimated at over $100,000.

Investigators are exploring the possibility that Mateo used proceeds from the MassChallenge thefts to pay restitution related to a similar scheme in Rhode Island. 

Investigators learned that in 2019 Mateo, while an employee of Upserve, Inc. in Providence, used that company’s credit card to purchase multiple Apple computers. An investigation later revealed that Mateo sold at least one of the computers on eBay.  Mateo pleaded guilty to embezzlement, fraudulent use of credit cards and larceny over $1,500 in that case. 

“This individual apparently had the impression that the absence of more than 100 Apple laptops would somehow go unnoticed.  Like most others who attempt such schemes, he found out just how wrong he was. He deserves to be brought to justice for his brazeness, particularly as it targeted a non-profit that does great work for entrepreneurs across Massachusetts,” Hayden said.  

All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.

 James Borghesani, Chief of Communications