Former state senator Andy Sanborn admits to misusing federal relief funds

The 64-year-old Bedford resident was accused of diverting about $255,000 in COVID-era small business relief money for personal spending.

Keene property owner and former state Sen. Andy Sanborn has pleaded guilty to theft of government funds in federal court, according to an announcement Tuesday from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Concord.

The 64-year-old Bedford resident was accused of diverting about $255,000 in COVID-era small business relief money for personal spending. Prosecutors said part of the money went toward a Porsche Cayman and other nonbusiness expenses.

The relief application was filed for Win Win Win, the company that operated Concord Casino, which Sanborn owned and ran. Federal officials said the business ultimately received $844,000 in aid.

Thomas Demeo, who leads the IRS Criminal Investigation Boston Field Office, said in a release that the money was meant to support the business, not to finance luxury purchases or personal enrichment.

Sanborn now faces a possible prison term of up to 10 years and a fine of as much as $250,000, or twice the gain or loss involved if that amount is higher. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

The investigation was handled by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Sanborn previously served in the state Senate, representing Hancock, Harrisville and Nelson, among other towns.

He also owns property in Keene, including a Main Street building occupied by several businesses. City records listed the property at $1.2 million last year.

The federal case is separate from a pending Merrimack County prosecution. In that matter, Sanborn and his company were indicted on charges of theft by deception and unauthorized taking tied to pandemic relief aid. Authorities say he inflated the casino’s gross receipts by about $1 million, which led to $188,474 in additional money from New Hampshire’s Main Street Relief Fund. Court papers allege that the extra funds were used to pay off the mortgage on a summer home owned by his wife.

That case is scheduled for a jury trial in 2027.