Crime & Safety
NH School District Bookkeeper Gets Year In Prison For Stealing $131K
Amy Beth Burley of Barnstead stole federal funds earmarked for the Barnstead and Hampton school districts between 2011 and 2020.
CONCORD, NH — A former bookkeeper for two school districts was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison for stealing $131,261.81 in federal funds between 2011 and 2020.
Amy Beth Burley, 48, of Barnstead was sentenced in U.S. District Court after pleading guilty to the two felony theft from a program receiving federal funds charges in February. After serving the 366-day sentence, she will be on two years of supervised release.
Burley worked for the Barnstead School District between October 2011 and September 2019. She used her access to school district accounts to alter her payroll information, make personal student loan payments, and payments to personal creditors. Burley also had an Amazon account charged to Barnstead but controlled by her. She stole more than $110,000 during this period.
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After being fired, she was hired by the Hampton School District and used her position again to pay for student loans and credit cards belonging to her or her family members. She stole nearly $21,000 from Hampton.
Burley was arrested on warrants in January 2021.
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“These public school districts placed trust in Burley as their bookkeeper and she blatantly abused that trust by stealing funds intended for the school children in these districts,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “I’m proud that we were able to bring restitution to the taxpayers while sending a deterrent message that this type of thievery will result in incarceration.”
Christopher DiMenna, the acting special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division, called Burley “selfish” and greedy, putting her desires ahead of students and taxpayers.
“Today’s sentence ensures she’s held accountable for her criminal conduct,” he said.
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