Buddhist chaplain arrested in Boston undercover sex sting

Tufts University's Buddhist chaplain — a Sri Lankan Theravada monk who spent two and a half years living in a cave before joining the school — was arrested in a Boston Police prostitution sting on June 13, and has resigned his Tufts post effective immediately, the university confirmed to Mass Daily News.

The Reverend Mahayaye Vineetha Thera, 32, was one of seven men arrested by the Boston Police Department's Human Trafficking Unit during what BPD described as an ongoing effort to address human trafficking concerns.

All seven are expected to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court on charges of Sex for a Fee.

"Yesterday, we were notified by Ven. Mahayaye Vineetha that he has resigned his position at Tufts University effective immediately," a Tufts spokesperson said.

Mahayaye Vineetha was appointed Tufts University's Buddhist Chaplain in December 2024, supporting the Tufts Buddhist Mindfulness Sangha and leading meditation programmes and Dhamma talks for students and staff.

He grew up going to the Buddhist temple in his village in Sri Lanka and received his novice ordination at age 10. He earned a master's degree at Harvard Divinity School in May 2022, then spent two and a half years living in a forest cave before a friend told him about the open chaplaincy role at Tufts and he returned to Boston in late 2024. He had been on the Tufts payroll for roughly 18 months.

The university also removed his page from the Tufts Chaplaincy website by Tuesday morning.

The other six men arrested in the sting are: Angelo Furtado, 54; Darren Francisque, 24; Matthew Fitzpatrick, 26; Sundararajan Vaidyanathan, 56; Timothy Sitorus, 42; and Yaseen Ahmad, 19.

-Mass Daily News