Office of the Attorney General: New Hampshire Woman Charged with Stealing More Than $82,000 From Her Former Employer

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

July 25, 2008

WOBURN – A Middlesex Grand Jury returned indictments late yesterday against a New Hampshire woman charging her with scheming to steal over $82,000 from her former employer. Michelle Hogan, age 39, was charged with Larceny over $250 (9 counts) and Falsifying Corporate Books. According to authorities, while employed as an accounts payable clerk at Aspect Software of Chelmsford, MA, a communications technology company, Hogan allegedly created false entries in the company’s accounts payable system in a scheme to steal funds. In July 2006, Hogan allegedly entered her mother’s name into the Aspect Software’s accounts payable system as a fraudulent vendor. On separate occasions from July 2006 through May 2007, Hogan allegedly cut checks payable to her mother based on false invoices she created.

As a result of this scheme, a total of 19 checks totaling $82,827.35 were allegedly deposited in the bank account of Hogan’s mother, over which Hogan had full signatory authority and access. Investigators from the Attorney General’s Office found that the checks issued to Hogan’s mother were allegedly deposited within days of being issued by Aspect, and that some of these funds were later made payable directly to Hogan.

The alleged fraud was initially detected by a manager at Aspect Software.

A Middlesex Grand Jury returned indictments against Hogan on July 24, 2008. An arraignment date has not yet been scheduled.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Michael H. Pine of Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Corruption and Fraud Division with assistance from Financial Investigator Jessie Julian of the Attorney General’s Office.