Jessica Pechtel, Embezzlement, New Hampshire 2022

CONCORD - A former Maine woman has been sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for embezzling over half a million dollars from a New Hampshire company, officials announced.

Jessica Pechtel, 35, now of Andover, Massachusetts and formerly of Springvale, Maine, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for wire fraud, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced.

Pechtel was the office manager for a company in Somersworth, New Hampshire, and had full access to the company's finances. She used her access to make unauthorized purchases and transfers of funds to accounts that she controlled.

Pechtel engaged in a multifaceted scheme for at least a year and a half to steal the funds. She transferred funds from the company's bank accounts to her own accounts, used the company's credit card to make unauthorized purchases, and drafted 17 unauthorized checks payable to herself.

She also stole almost $44,000 in COVID-19 relief funds that were intended for the company. Pechtel took steps to conceal her embezzlement, including creating a PayPal account in the name of one of her coworkers to transfer funds and manipulating the company's accounting records to make her fraudulent transfers appear like payments to legitimate vendors.

Pechtel previously pleaded guilty to one count of Wire Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1343, on March 23, 2022.

“The defendant brazenly stole from her trusted employer’s funds, including COVID-19 relief funds the company received to help it through the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “In a sophisticated effort to cover her crimes, she manipulated the company's record keeping. The repeated cunning that the defendant employed allowed her to steal more than a half-million dollars.”

The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Somersworth Police Department, and the Nashua Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Hunter and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen.

Pechtel was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for stealing at least $587,219 from her employer. She used the funds for various personal expenses, including Amazon purchases and the purchase of a boat.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nh/pr/former-maine-woman-sentenced-48-months-stealing-over-500000-new-hampshire-company