Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing From Hopkinton Business

Press Release from the Attorney General's office

Attorney General Martha Coakley's office announced Monday afternoon that a former Hopkinton office manager has pled guilty to charges that she stole more than $350,000 from the Hopkinton medical practice where she worked. 

Margaret Connor, 56, was sentenced by Judge Jane Haggerty to one year in the House of Correction to be followed by 10 years probation. Connor must also pay $350,000 in restitution and may not accept work that involves access to financial records or money without making her employer aware of her conviction, said a release from the AG's office.

"The defendant stole hundreds of thousands of dollars for her own personal gain and falsified records to conceal her thefts from her employer,” said Coakley. “Our office will continue to hold accountable those who deceive their employers.”

Connor was first the subject of investigation by the Attorney General's office in May of 2010 after Connor's former employer referred the matter to the state's chief law enforcement officer. Coakley's office eventually charged the defendant with larceny over $250 by continuous scheme and false entries in corporate books.

According to the Attorney General's office, Connor was promoted to office manager in the medical practice in 2003 at which time she was placed in charge of the business' finances including paying bills, managing the books and handling health and life insurance policies. 

Investigators said her misfeasance was discovered years later only after her employer noticed an individual who did not work there receiving health care from the practice. This prompted the business over to investigate their books and the case was then referred to the Attorney General's office.

The investigation found that Connor wrote more than 150 checks from the company's account for her own benefit, and made many efforts to conceal her efforts in bookkeeping software, said a release. 

The stolen funds were used to pay for personal expenses such as: travel, dining, clothing, furniture, and jewelry she purchased using personal credit cards. She also paid her mortgage and utilities bills from her employer’s checking account. 

Connor will begin serving her sentence Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012 and is currently free on her own recognizance.