PLYMOUTH, Mass.- A former Plymouth Public Schools food services director has been charged with allegedly misusing federal lunch program funds and school resources, including food and commercial kitchen equipment, to support a private seasonal business on Cape Cod.
Patrick Van Cott, 64, of Sandwich, was charged with one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and two counts of wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. He is scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date.
Federal prosecutors allege that Van Cott, who served as Director of Food Services for Plymouth Public Schools from 2003 through June 2025, simultaneously operated a seasonal business known as the “Snack Shack” on Sandy Neck Beach in Barnstable beginning around 2014.
According to the charging document, between 2014 and June 2025, Van Cott allegedly used his position to obtain food and equipment purchased with Plymouth Public Schools funds, including federal U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) money, and diverted them for use at his private business.
Prosecutors allege the items included commercial-grade kitchen equipment such as refrigerators, a freezer, hot plates, a griddle, a chargrill, a fryolator, shelving, a sandwich preparation table, a convection oven, and other fixtures. The document also alleges that Van Cott routinely took food and supplies from school inventory each summer, including condiments, meats, cooking oil, snacks, paper goods, and other items, which were then used and sold at the Snack Shack.
The allegations further state that Van Cott directed school cafeteria workers to prepare deli meats for use at his business and ordered thousands of dollars in premium burger patties using school funds for resale at the seasonal operation.
The National School Lunch Program, administered by the USDA, provides federally subsidized meals to public school students. In Massachusetts, school meals are provided at no cost, with districts reimbursed through a combination of federal and state funding.
The charge of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, while wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years. Both charges also include potential fines of up to $250,000 and supervised release. Sentencing would be determined by a federal district court judge under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
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