Neiman Groce, Federal Retirement Plan Embezzlement, Vermont 2012

A former Rutland Plywood Corporation employee has been accused of stealing $88,000 from the company’s retirement plan. Neiman Groce, 30, of Poultney, pleaded not guilty yesterday in United States District Court in Burlington to federal fraud and forgery charges.

According to the indictment, between June and November 2012, Groce embezzled approximately $88,000 from the retirement accounts of five former Rutland Plywood employees. Groce allegedly accomplished the embezzlement by forging employees’ signatures on benefit plan withdrawal forms and faxing the forms to the company which managed the retirement plan.

The indictment charges Groce with stealing an additional $3,000 from Rutland Plywood by forging and altering a series of company checks to third parties to make them payable to himself, then cashing those checks.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy released Groce on conditions pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Groce faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.

The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples, emphasized that the charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.

Groce is represented by the office of the Federal Public Defender. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Vermont State Police.

A federal grand jury in Rutland returned a three-count indictment charging Groce with embezzlement, wire fraud and forgery. The case is set to go to trial, but no date has been scheduled.

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