Dartmouth woman accused of stealing at least $280,000 from employer released in Boston

BOSTON – A former employee of a Bristol County industrial company was arrested and charged today in connection with a scheme to embezzle more than $280,000 from her employer.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Justice, 41-year-old Jasmyne Botelho was charged with one count of wire fraud. Botelho was arrested this morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston today, was released on conditions.

According to the charging documents, between September 2017 and April 2020, Botelho stole at least $280,000 from her employer. Botelho allegedly directed payments purportedly intended for the company’s vendors to bank accounts she controlled and used company funds to make payments on personal credit cards and auto loans. To hide her scheme, Botelho allegedly falsified her employer’s books and records to make it appear as though the payments had in fact been sent to legitimate vendors rather than to Botelho.

The charge of wire fraud provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement Thursday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.