Federal authorities are investigating state Sen. Doug McCrory's ties to a consultant who received state economic development funding as part of an expansive probe into grants awarded to Hartford nonprofits.
A grand jury subpoena served on the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) orders the agency to produce communications between state officials and McCrory concerning the consultant, Sonserae Cicero, and several entities she controls.
The subpoena, obtained by Connecticut Public, also instructs state officials to compile “all documents concerning any personal or non-professional relationship” between the two.
Cicero, a human resources professional, is CEO of a nonprofit that has received several hundred thousand dollars in public funding in recent years, including from DECD, state records show.
Her organization, SHEBA Resource Center, Inc., also has professional relationships with a range of social services organizations in the Hartford area, according to documents it submitted previously to the state.
McCrory and Cicero did not respond to phone and e-mail messages for comment.
The federal inquiry comes several months after DECD halted funding to a Hartford nonprofit that was the victim of a $300,000 wire fraud. The Blue Hills Civic Association (BHCA) failed to immediately notify state officials of the theft when it was discovered last year, prompting DECD to claw back money it had provided and suspend future transfers.
McCrory, a Democrat who represents parts of Hartford, Bloomfield and Windsor, has been a vocal supporter of BHCA, and advocated for the organization to receive millions in federal pandemic recovery funding, according to an announcement from his office.
BHCA's executive director discussed the theft in a February 2025 meeting with McCrory, according to records reviewed by Connecticut Public. In a conversation with investigators from a law firm probing the incident, BHCA's former chief financial officer said that McCrory advised the organization not to notify other parties about the incident until the FBI completed its investigation. The executive director recalled the conversation differently, however, telling the firm that notifying DECD didn't come up.
SHEBA Resource Center also has partnerships with BHCA and several other Hartford-area nonprofits, according to documents it filed with the state.
Investigators are now seeking information about loans, grants and other funding provided to three of those same organizations, the subpoena shows.
Two others that partnered with Cicero to administer state-funded programs are also listed in the document.
One of those groups, Girls for Technology, helps increase the representation of women of color in tech and engineering fields, according to its website. A 2022 announcement from the state says the organization worked with SHEBA Resource Center to support Black and indigenous female entrepreneurs.
“State funds will help the organizations expand their capacity and access to business resources such as training, coaching, and certification programs, as well as capital, business acceleration, and pitch competitions to amplify small business development in underserved communities,” the announcement reads.
A spokesperson for Girls for Technology said the organization had no comment on its partnership with SHEBA Resource Center.
State records obtained by Connecticut Public through a Freedom of Information request show SHEBA Resource Center has received $1 million through the initiative to date, and is eligible to receive an additional $1 million.
SHEBA was also selected in April 2022 by the state’s Minority Business Initiative Advisory Board to receive $300,000 for its small business accelerator program, which provides training and mentorship to minority-owned and women-owned small businesses. McCrory serves on the advisory board.
Those that complete the program are eligible for interest-free, forgivable loans of up to $50,000, which are underwritten by HEDCO, a community development financial institution in Hartford.
HEDCO President Kim B. Hawkins declined a request for comment.
Federal authorities have ordered DECD to turn over its communications with Hawkins and 10 other individuals, including BHCA's former executive director, and the co-founder and president of Girls For Technology.
The chairperson of BHCA’s governing board has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
Tom Carson, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Haven, did not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation. Carson said his office only provides comment on criminal matters when it comes forth with charges.
