Catherine McKinney, Mail Fraud, Vermont 2023

Law Firm Bookkeeper Catherine McKinney, 62, of Hartland, Vermont, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for embezzling nearly $1 million from her employer, Myers Associates PLLC, a law firm in Lebanon, Vermont.

U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford ordered McKinney to serve a one-year term of supervised release following her release from prison and pay restitution of about $903,000. At the conclusion of the hearing, McKinney was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal to begin serving her sentence.

According to court records, on June 17, 2015, a federal grand jury in Rutland returned a three-count indictment charging McKinney with mail and wire fraud and interstate transportation of stolen money.

The indictment alleges that, beginning no later than 2008 and continuing until early 2015, McKinney embezzled at least $690,000 from her employer. McKinney wrote law firm checks to herself and to her creditors on which she forged the signature of her attorney employer. She deposited more than $90,000 in forged checks into her Vermont bank account.

McKinney allegedly also caused electronic transfers of firm funds to pay her obligations, including large credit card bills. McKinney pled guilty to the mail fraud charge last December. Further investigation after the indictment established that the total loss suffered by Myers Associates was actually $962,000.

McKinney recently liquidated the 401(k) retirement plan that had been set up by Myers Associates and turned over the net proceeds, about $64,000, as partial payment toward her restitution obligation.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service.

McKinney is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Elizabeth Quinn. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.

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