Possible 'New Low' for convicted conman

NORTH SMITHFIELD, R.I. (WPRI) - A severely disabled woman confined to a wheelchair is accusing a convicted con man of stealing money she had saved up to buy a specialized van to help her get around.

Donna Dale Simerol D'Arezzo, 53, of North Smithfield, said she gave Kevin Millette close to $50,000, much of which was meant to go toward the purchase of a van that could transport her and her wheelchair, as well as money to buy her teenaged daughter a car.

Neither were ever delivered.

"I knew him so I believed everything he told me," D'Arezzo said. "He always seemed genuine, always seemed as though he was not selfish."

A 2006 car wreck left D'Arezzo a quadriplegic. She has limited use of her arms but needs constant care and spends much of her time in hospital-style bed wedged in a room that was converted to handle her needs.

She said much of the money for the wheelchair van was raised by friends, neighbors and co-workers at the Cumberland school she used to teach.

"I feel badly because when I run into people who raised money for me they ask if I got the van and I have to tell them I got duped," D'Arezzo said. "He knew I was desperate for money."

It was an elaborate scheme, according to D'Arezzo. She says Millette told her he could get her a 2010 Dodge Caravan retrofitted with a chair lift along with free driving lessons if she took part in an investment. The pitch: invest in three vans, sell two of them for a profit and keep the third for herself.

D'Arezzo provided Target 12 with a receipt showing a money transfer of more than $14,000. She said that was the third and final payment to Millette's account.

An alert clerk at her Citizens Bank finally flagged the transactions after becoming suspicious, according to D'Arezzo. She said the clerk asked if she had received any of the proceeds from her original investments.

"I said 'no, I haven't even gotten my van,' and he said 'I'm looking out for your best interest and I believe you're being taken advantage of,'" D'Arezzo said. "That's when I stopped."

Soon after, Millette stopped returning her calls and got rid of his phones' numbers, according to D'Arezzo.

For a good reason: he was on the run.

A Wanted Man

Kevin Millette, 45, of North Smithfield was arrested earlier this year by a U.S. Marshals task force, hiding out at a hotel in New Jersey. The Rhode Island State Police have been tracking Millette's movements since a Target 12 Investigation last year revealed he was accused of swindling victims up and down the East Coast in elaborate car and motorcycle schemes.

The receipt D'Arezzo provided shows the final transaction occurred in June 2010. Target 12 has uncovered at that time Millette was staying in a Hampton Beach, NH condominium. Records show he failed to appear in court on a criminal charge in Rhode Island. His failure to appear in court sparked two warrants for his arrest out of Rhode Island for two separate cases.

One of the victims -- former pro hockey player Jeffrey Jillson -- claims Millette stole nearly $80,000 from him. North Smithfield police have charged Millette in that case and Jillson has filed a civil suit in an attempt to recoup his loss.

WPRI 12 also uncovered he is wanted for two alleged scams in both Florida and New Hampshire and is being investigated for an alleged con in Massachusetts.

Millette is no stranger to the judicial system. He spent a year in federal prison in Virginia after prosecutors say he duped a group of blue collar investors of $600,000 in a Harley Davidson scheme.

Earning Her Trust

D'Arezzo said she met Millette through family and felt comfortable with him, describing him as warm and charismatic.

She said she was unaware he was running from the law when she was dealing with him, but said toward the end she never dealt with him in person and was often instructed to call him at a New Hampshire phone number.

She said she went to the North Smithfield police department to file a complaint, but was told it was a civil matter. Millette has not been charged in her case, nor has she filed a lawsuit against him.

• Map: Track Kevin Millette's alleged scams
• Read: A former NHL player is suing Millette for alleged scam

Deeply religious, she said she has already forgiven Millette despite it all.

"If I get [the money] back, it was meant to be and it was a gift," D'Arezzo said. "I just pray that he can get some sort of solace with our Lord, and have peace within himself."

Tim White ( twhite@wpri.com ) is the Target 12 investigative reporter for WPRI 12 and Fox Providence. Follow him on Twitter: @white_tim