The fired director of food services at Plymouth schools was charged by federal authorities Wednesday in a brazen, decade-long fraud scheme to steal food and equipment he then used at his own Cape Cod side business.
Patrick Van Cott, 64, of Sandwich, who was fired last year after the alleged fraud scheme was discovered, now faces charges of wire fraud and federal theft.
He already faced larceny charges pending in Plymouth District Court, but the new federal charges are more serious and carry the possibility of up to 20 years in federal prison.
Van Cott, who held the job for 22 years, allegedly stole everything from paper goods to premium burgers to use or sell at the Snack Shack, his business on Barnstable’s Sandy Neck Beach.
Every summer starting in 2014, according to federal prosecutors, he collected condiments, hot dogs, snacks, coffee and other items paid for by the schools or provided by the federal school lunch program and delivered them to the Snack Shack.
And once or twice a week, prosecutors allege, Van Cott ordered school food service employees to slice at least nine pounds of deli turkey and four and a half pounds of deli ham and place them boxed into a school department refrigerator, with the initials “PVC” on the boxes.
He ordered eight cases of premier burger patties — at a cost of $3,199.20 — and charged them to the schools, prosecutors allege. They were later sold at the Snack Shack.
Besides food and paper items, Van Cott also allegedly outfitted his business with expensive restaurant equipment — compliments of the school department.
These included two $2,200 refrigerators, a $3,950 freezer, hot plates, griddle, a fryolator, shelving, a sandwich prep table, a convection oven and hanging chalk boards.
Van Cott’s lawyer, Evan Paul, did not respond to a request for comment.
It is still unclear how the alleged thievery went on for so long without being detected.
When Plymouth police detectives started investigating in June 2025, a school employee told them she believed he had been stealing for years.
She said she began working for the school department in June 2009 and had seen him regularly take food ever since — over more than 16 years.
She told police she saw him take “deli meats, premium food products, condiments and various items that he had ordered using the Plymouth School department account.”
The investigation began when assistant school superintendent Eric Cioffi received an anonymous letter in May 2025.
The letter said Van Cott had been spotted stealing commercial equipment and food from the Plymouth Community Intermediate School on Long Pond Road.
Van Cott also allegedly stole two undercounter commercial refrigerators, including one on April 5, 2025 Plymouth police alleged.
Police pulled school department video footage which allegedly showed him loading a $2,268.99 stainless steel undercounter refrigerator onto the back of his pickup truck.
Additional video footage from the same day at Sagamore Bridge showed Van Cott traveling east on the bridge toward Cape Cod, with the refrigerator in the bed of his truck, police said.
Van Cott was then arrested and charged with larceny by Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz. The charges were limited to the incidents caught on surveillance in 2025.
A judge ordered him held on $50,000 bail but that was later reduced to $10,000, which a family member paid.
He faced up to five years in prison on larceny charges.
But now he faces the possibility of a lengthy federal prison term.
He is now accused of theft from programs receiving federal funds — a crime with a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release — the federal equivalent of probation — and a fine of up to $250,000.
He is also accused of wire fraud, and if convicted he could face up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
School Superintendent Chris Campbell, who has never publicly explained why the alleged fraud wasn’t caught sooner, Wednesday declined comment, citing the federal case. He said the department “continues to cooperate fully with all law enforcement agencies involved.
“Mr. Van Cott is no longer employed by the Plymouth Public Schools and has not been for many months.
“When the allegations first came to light, the district took appropriate personnel actions immediately and Mr. VanCott has not been permitted on school property since then.
“We remain committed to the responsible stewardship of public resources and to maintaining the trust of our students, families, and community. Our focus remains on ensuring a safe, ethical, and supportive environment across all of our schools.”
Van Cott will appear in federal court at an unspecified date, federal court documents say.
Andrea Estes can be reached at andrea@plymouthindependent.org.