Malden Resident Pleads Guilty To Federal Overtime Fraud Charge

The woman worked at the Boston Housing Authority for 15 years.

Benjamin Pierce, Patch Staff

Posted Tue, Mar 31, 2026 at 4:04 pm ET

MALDEN, MA — A resident pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to wire fraud charges, the United States District Attorney’s Office Massachusetts District announced.

Helen Murray, 41, reportedly received overtime pay from her employer, the Boston Housing Authority, under fraudulent pretenses as she submitted more than 100 forged forms to the company’s payroll between January 2023 and August 2024. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Murray falsified her supervisor’s signature on each form without their knowledge, and submitted the forms to the BHA payroll directly that falsely claimed she had performed overtime work. The scheme yielded more than $72,000 to Murray throughout the 19 months.

Murray served as an executive secretary for the Authority between 2017 and 2024. Her job responsibilities included collecting weekly timesheets and overtime forms from other BHA employees. Prior to that role, she worked as a clerk and senior management aide during her first eight years at the government agency. She was first arrested and charged on Tuesday, Feb. 24.

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Murray officially pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. The charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled Murray’s sentencing for Tuesday, July 7.