A former assistant clerk at Salem District Court docket is going through prices after she allegedly stole bail funds and used them for journeys and private use.
Michelle Bowman, 51, of Danvers was arraigned in Essex Superior Court docket after misusing greater than $71,000 in bail funds and forging to fill out paperwork.
In accordance with Legal professional Normal Andrea Campbell’s workplace, in Could 2024, Lawrence District Court docket employees, whereas making an attempt to course of a bail forfeiture, realized that the $25,000 in bail funds had by no means been acquired by the court docket and had been lacking.
When the lacking bail got here to mild, Bowman submitted a cast recognizance kind to the court docket for the lacking bail, altering dates to make it seem as if the bail was acquired extra not too long ago than it had been.
An audit carried out by the Trial Court docket revealed that eight bails processed by Bowman had been lacking and had by no means been turned over to the related courts.
The audit additionally revealed that Bowman held some bail funds for much longer than bail Justice of the Peace guidelines permitted, and in a single occasion, stored a $75,000 bail for greater than six months earlier than paying it to the related court docket.
Investigators found a number of withdrawals taken from Bowman bail checking account, which gave the impression to be for private use, together with $14,449 in funds to American Specific, $14,021 in funds to her landlord, and $8,508 in money withdrawals.
In the course of the related timeframe, Bowman took journeys to Las Vegas, Barbados, and Aruba and spent cash on jewellery, designer fragrance, high-end clothes, and occasion tickets.
Bowman is charged with fiduciary embezzlement and unwarranted privilege for her misuse of bail funds and forgery, and uttering for creating and submitting a false recognizance kind.
She was ordered to show over her passport, and her subsequent court docket date is scheduled for December 12.
This can be a growing story. Test again for updates as extra data turns into out there.
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