Pudding Members Arraigned Today

Suzanne M. Pomey ’02 and Randy J. Gomes ’02 will be arraigned this morning in Cambridge’s Middlesex Superior Court on charges of grand larceny, after allegedly withdrawing funds from the Hasty Pudding Theatricals and depositing them into their personal accounts.

Sources within the Theatricals place the value of the alleged theft at more than $100,000.

The alleged co-conspirators each face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Pomey and Gomes are required by law to be present at their arraignments this morning, at which time they will each enter a plea to the charges.

“The defendant ordinarily enters a plea of ‘not guilty’ at his/her first appearance,” according to the Middlesex County district attorney’s office.

Judge Carol S. Ball will preside over today’s arraignments, which are open to the public. Members of the Theatricals said they expected many members to be present.

Ball will schedule a date for Pomey and Gomes to return to court and will decided whether to either release them on personal recognizance or to impose bail.

The district attorney’s office would not comment on plans to request bail.

Pomey and Gomes are co-defendents in the felony case. They were indicted on the same charges and the district attorney’s office has been treating the cases in the same way, said Seth I. Horowitz, spokesperson for the Middlesex County district attorney’s office.

“They are being charged with the same charges, being arraigned together and probably will be called up [to be arraigned] together,” Horowitz said.

Assistant District Attorney Edward R. Bedrosian, who has handled the Pomey and Gomes cases since the district attorney’s office began its investigation, is the sole prosecutor assigned to the cases and will appear at today’s arraignment.

Bedrosian declined comment on the case yesterday.

Meanwhile, chapter executives of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority held a closed meeting yesterday at which they considered terminating Pomey’s membership in the group, said Theta members. The sorority has not yet taken official action against Pomey.

The Hasty Pudding Theatricals have already revoked the membership of Pomey and Gomes.

The Theta chapter would have to abide by guidelines of the national organization if they choose to go through with a process of revoking Pomey’s membership, said Lisa C. Stella ’02, the president of Theta in 2001.

The national headquarters of Kappa Alpha Theta could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Pomey has attended recent weekly chapter meetings of Theta, members said. But Stella said that Pomey had not been involved in recent Theta events, including this week’s rush events, even though Pomey is still a member.

“I haven’t seen her at all, actually, this semester,” Stella said.

Pomey previously served as president of the Harvard chapter of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.

In addition to considering revoking Pomey’s membership, Theta released a public statement Sunday denying a direct financial connection with her.

“In the fall of 2000 during Suzanne Pomey’s Kappa Alpha Theta presidency, the sorority held an unofficial event with another club. While Suzanne coordinated the event, Kappa Alpha Theta did not fund it,” Theta wrote in the statement.

—Staff writer Stephanie M. Skier can be reached at skier@fas.harvard.edu.