A former manager of several sober homes in Massachusetts has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in multiple fraud schemes. Nicholas Espinosa, 39, formerly of Randolph, received the sentence from U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young in federal court in Boston. Espinosa will also serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
Espinosa pleaded guilty in October 2024 to a series of charges including two counts of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of conspiracy to make false statements to a mortgage lending business, 15 counts of wire fraud, six counts of unlawful monetary transactions (money laundering), and one count of making false statements to a mortgage lending business. He was arrested and charged in March 2023 alongside co-conspirator Daniel Cleggett.
Cleggett founded A Vision From God LLC (AVFG) in November 2016. The company operated sober homes under names such as Brady’s Place, Lakeshore Retreat, and Lambert House across Boston, Wakefield, Quincy, and Weymouth. Espinosa managed the daily operations for AVFG.
Authorities stated that Cleggett, Espinosa, and a client conspired to defraud a New York-based family trust that paid for the client’s stay at Brady’s Place in Quincy. According to prosecutors: “Cleggett and Espinosa overcharged the family trust for room and board by up to $12,500 per month by submitting false and fraudulent invoices to the family trust.” The statement continued: “Cleggett and Espinosa would then issue ‘refund’ checks to the client in furtherance of the fraud scheme.”
Between October 2019 and December 2021, Cleggett used straw purchasers—including Espinosa—to buy three residential properties in Weymouth and Boston intended for use as sober homes. Prosecutors said they submitted false documentation stating these were primary residences when they were actually planned as sober home facilities.
The case was announced by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge at IRS Criminal Investigation’s Boston Field Office; and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI’s Boston Division. Police departments from Kingston, Randolph, and Quincy assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Dustin Chao from the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting.