Maine woman pleads guilty to stealing almost $600G from Somersworth biz

CONCORD - A Maine woman pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud, the U.S. Attorneys announced on Wednesday.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Jessica Pechtel, 35, of Springvale, was the office manager for a company in Somersworth. In that role, she had full access to the company's finances, including its accounting records, bank accounts, and company credit card.

Between January 2019 and March 2021, Pechtel used her access to the company's finances to make unauthorized purchases and transfers of funds to accounts that she controlled. This scheme had four distinct components. First, she transferred funds from the company's bank accounts to her own accounts. Second, she used the company's credit card to make unauthorized purchases from retailers such as Amazon or make payments via the online payment transfer system Venmo. Third, she drafted 17 unauthorized checks payable to herself that were drawn on the company's bank account. And fourth, she stole almost $44,000 in COVID-19 relief funds that were intended for the company.

Overall, Pechtel fraudulently obtained at least $587,219 from her employer.

Pechtel is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7, 2022.

"This defendant stole a significant amount of money and betrayed the trust of her employer," said U.S. Attorney John J. Farley. "As this case demonstrates, we work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute white collar criminals to ensure they are held accountable for their crimes."