South End Brothers Indicted on Charges of Defrauding One Fund

The South End man arrested in July for allegedly defrauding the One Fund of $2 million has been officially indicted on fraud charges, along with his older brother, according to the Massachusetts Attorney General's office. 

Branden Mattier, 22, and his brother, Domunique Grice, 27, both of the South End, were indicted Thursday by a Suffolk County Grand Jury on charges of conspiracy to commit fraud, attempted larceny and identity fraud. 

The two brothers allegedly submitted a false claim to The One Fund on behalf of their previously deceased aunt, who they said was injured during the bombings at the Boston Marathon. 

“These defendants allegedly orchestrated a scheme to defraud The One Fund of more than $2 million, money that was donated by many generous people and intended for the real victims of the Marathon attack,” said Attorney General Martha Coakley in a statement. 

Mattier was previously arrested at his South End home on July 2 when an undercover state trooper presented him with a simulated check made out for $2.195 million.

The AG's office said the One Fund Boston suspected fraud, and referred the claim to their office for investigation. 

Through that investigation, the Attorney General's office said Thursday it believes on May 7, Mattier and Grice attended a Town Hall meeting held by The One Fund at the Boston Public Library on behalf of their supposedly injured aunt. Afterwards, Mattier spoke with the media about the importance of their aunt being compensated immediately because the hospital bills were coming in.

According to the Attorney General's office, Mattier followed-up on May 29 by sending an email to The One Fund asking if his aunt could make a claim as a double amputee if the amputation was expected to be performed in the future. In June, The One Fund received a claim form, put together by Mattier and Grice, along with a letter allegedly from the chief of trauma services at the Boston Medical Center affirming their aunt as a double amputee. The letter was dated May 2, a full 27 days before Mattier’s email to The One Fund saying their aunt might lose her other leg, the Attorney General's office said. 

According to officials at the Boston Medical Center, the brothers' aunt, Onevia Bradley, never received treatment at the hospital in connection with the Boston Marathon bombing, nor did the letter originate from the trauma center. Public records that Onevia Bradley had actually died more than 10 years earlier, the AG's office said. 

Mattier allegedly signed a form on July 1st accepting an award of $2.195 million from the One Fund Boston. However, he was arrested by state police after being handed a fake check. 

The AG's office said that Mattier and Grice had scheduled an appointment to test drive a new Mercedes-Benz E350 the same day the check was scheduled to be delivered. As a result of Mattier’s arrest, they did not attend that appointment.

Mattier was arraigned on July 3rd in Boston Municipal Court and is currently in custody, being held on $20,000 in bail. 

Both Mattier and Grace will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court in the coming weeks.