Melissa K. Scolforo, Embezzlement, Massachusetts 2016

Bank Teller Sentenced for Embezzlement in Massachusetts

Boston – A shocking case of embezzlement has come to light in Massachusetts, with a former bank teller being sentenced for stealing over $378,000 from the Lenox National Bank.

Melissa K. Scolforo, 48, of Lee, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 10 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $378,000 in restitution.

Scolforo, a teller at Lenox National Bank for 24 years, conspired with another bank teller, Bernadine Powers, to embezzle money from the teller drawers and make false entries in bank records to hide the thefts. Scolforo began stealing money in January 2009, and Powers joined the scheme about a year later.

The two tellers stole a total of $378,000, which they used to pay personal expenses – including shopping, dining at restaurants, and paying household bills – before the embezzlement was brought to light during a bank audit in November 2013.

In May 2016, Scolforo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to embezzle funds from a bank. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Goodwin of Weinreb’s Springfield Branch Office.

Lenox National Bank has since been acquired by Adams Community Bank.

Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today.

This case serves as a reminder of the importance of bank audits and internal controls to prevent such crimes from occurring in the future.

A separate sentence for Bernadine Powers was also announced, with Powers receiving 18 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $299,793 in December 2016.

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