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n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m | N o v e m b e r 2 0 2 2 | n e w h a v e n B I Z 5 U.S. District Court Judge Vanessa L. Bryant imposed the sentence on Jamie Petrone, 43, of Lithia Springs, Ga. Petrone formerly lived in Naugatuck. Bryant ordered Petrone to make full financial restitution. Federal prosecutors estimate Petrone caused Yale to lose $40.5 million in the scheme. To help with restitution, Petrone is forfeiting $560,421 from her seized business bank account, along with multiple luxury vehicles. Petrone owns three Connecticut properties and a Georgia property, all subject to liquidation to go toward the restitution, documents show. In March, Petrone entered a guilty plea to one count of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return in connection with the workplace the scheme, which prosecutors said took place over several years. PHOTO | COURTESY YALE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE Yale School of Medicine. Woodbridge bioscience firm acquired by publicly-traded Florida company Pasithea erapeutics Corp., a publicly traded biotechnology Foxwoods launches rebranded social casino, FoxPlay Foxwoods Resort Casino announced in October that it is relaunching an enhanced version of its FoxPlay Social Casino. e new online casino provides players with a free-to-play social gaming platform, Foxwoods said. FoxPlay is a partnership with Wondr Nation and is powered by Ruby Seven Studios, a social casino gaming company. FoxPlay includes a variety of slot and table games, interactive jackpot lounges, Keno and Bingo. Foxwoods is also expanding its physical presence, with an $85 million upgrade that includes a new casino that is slated to open summer 2023. e addition will feature a gaming space and celebrity chef-owned restaurant. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Foxwoods Resort Casino. Breeze Airways announces 4 new destinations from Bradley Airport Breeze Airways recently announced it will begin offering nonstop flights to Phoenix, Arizona and Vero Beach, Florida, along with service to Provo, Utah and San Bernardino, California, starting early next year. e airline will debut direct flights to Vero Beach and Phoenix. e flights to Provo and San Bernardino will include one stop, but no plane change. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Breeze Airways CEO David Neeleman. Branford biotech secures $400K contract A Branford-based biotech, Enrich erapeutics Inc., recently secured a 12-month Small Business Innovation Research contract from the National Cancer Institute. e contract is for just under $400,000, financed with federal dollars. e company said it plans to use the award to further develop its cell/tissue sample processing and cell isolation technology, to help scientists better understand and treat diseases such as cancer. company in Florida focused on research and development for central nervous system disorders, recently acquired Woodbridge-based AlloMek erapeutics LLC. e purchase expands Pasithea erapeutics' pipeline of central nervous system-focused drug development, the Miami Beach-based company said. AlloMek erapeutics is a privately held biotechnology company with offices in Woodbridge and Palo Alto, California, focused on developing medications for treating rare diseases. AlloMek has developed a drug, known as CIP-137401, which shows the potential to treat Noonan Syndrome and a variety of cancers. Sachem Capital Corp. acquires Urbane New Haven Sachem Capital Corp., a real estate finance company headquartered in Branford, has acquired real estate firm Urbane New Haven LLC. Urbane is based in New Haven and has 11 employees. e firm is involved in all phases of real estate development and construction, including architecture, design, contracting and marketing. e purchase price for the Urbane assets was 300,000 of Sachem's common shares, according to an announcement. e deal was finalized Oct. 6. Kien Pham, a research scientist in pathology with Yale School of Medicine, and a team from the school's pathology department, will collaborate on the project. PHOTO | YALE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE Kien Pham, a research scientist in pathology with Yale School of Medicine. Avangrid signs deal with Sempra to develop green hydrogen, ammonia projects Orange-based utility company Avangrid has teamed up with California energy giant Sempra to explore the potential of green hydrogen and ammonia projects powered by renewable sources. Avangrid will partner with Sempra Infrastructure, a Texas-based subsidiary of Sempra. ey signed an agreement that will serve as "a framework for the companies to identify, appraise and potentially develop large-scale green hydrogen projects to help meet the energy and decarbonization needs of both U.S. and international customers," according to a statement. PHOTO | NEW HAVEN BIZ Avangrid's headquarters in Orange. BIC expands BodyMark beauty line Shelton-based manufacturer BIC has expanded its BodyMark line of skin-safe body art markers to feature pastel colors. e BodyMark Pastel Pop Series temporary tattoo markers are sold in a five-pack and include pastel shades of pink, green, orange, yellow and white, along with 10 stencils to create unique body art. BIC launched the BodyMark beauty brand in April 2019. Ex-Yale Med School employee sentenced in $40M theft A former Yale University School of Medicine worker was sentenced in October to nine years in prison for stealing $40 million in computer and electronic hardware. BY THE NUMBERS 87% The percentage of state manufacturers who report they are having difficulty finding and retaining workers, according to the 2022 Connecticut Manufacturing Report. $7.2 million The amount of funding that the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development recently awarded to The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven to help small businesses in the Greater New Haven region. 114,000 The number of job openings that Connecticut employers reported as of late August, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 4% The unemployment rate in Connecticut as of September, according to the state Department of Labor. A r o u n d t h e R e g i o n