Gomes, Pomey Appear in Court

Former Hasty Pudding Theatricals members Randy J. Gomes ’02 and Suzanne M. Pomey ’02, who allegedly stole more than $90,000 from the Theatricals, continued pleading “not guilty” to charges of felony larceny at a pre-trial hearing on Thursday.

The two co-defendants appeared in Middlesex Superior Court for the hearing, which turned out to be largely a formality in which lawyers exchanged legal documents and the judge, Carol S. Ball, scheduled their next court appearance for May 1.

Had Pomey and Gomes changed their plea to “guilty” at Thursday’s hearing, they would have been sentenced and the criminal proceedings would have been over.

Since the co-defendants continued to plead not guilty, the criminal proceedings against them will continue—and could extend beyond the June graduation date for the class of 2002 unless they accept a plea bargain.

But no plea bargain is currently on the table, Gomes’ attorney Henry R. Cashman said following Thursday’s pre-trial hearing.

When Pomey and Gomes appear in court again for the May 1 hearing, they will have another opportunity to change their plea and their attorneys will make any motions they have about the evidence against their clients.

The students’ attorneys will spend the next month examining the evidence given to them by the prosecution in discovery on Thursday.

Pomey—who prosecutors allege used the stolen funds for shopping sprees and spa visits—appeared in court Thursday in a pink sweater, gray slacks and black boots. She sat front row center, hands folded in her lap as she spoke quietly with her lawyer, Michael DeMarco.

Gomes—who prosecutors allege spent his share of the stolen money paying off drug dealers, buying electronics and travelling—sat in court alone, behind Pomey without either his attorney, who appeared later, or his parents, who live in Plymouth, Mass.

Members of the Theatricals, who attended the arraignment in early February, did not appear at Thursday’s hearing. They spent spring break in Bermuda on tour with their drag musical, “Snow Place Like Home.”

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