United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

MASHANTUCKET PEQUOT PHARMACY EMPLOYEE PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL EMBEZZLEMENT CHARGE

Nora R. Dannehy, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DEIDRE ECCLESTON, 43, of New London, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to one count of embezzlement from an Indian Tribal organization.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately July 2006 to January 2009, ECCLESTON was employed as an administrative assistant at the Mashantucket Pequot Pharmacy, which is located adjacent to the Foxwoods Casino.  ECCLESTON’s responsibilities at the pharmacy included collecting and depositing cash and checks received by the pharmacy.  In short, a pharmacy technician would turn over to ECCLESTON the cash and checks collected over the course of the business day and ECCLESTON would maintain the funds in her locked filing cabinet until they could be accounted for and delivered to the armored courier service for deposit with the organization’s bank.

In pleading guilty, ECCLESTON admitted that, beginning in approximately March 2007, she began depositing only the checks she had received and embezzled $41,256 in cash that was entrusted to her care.

Judge Arterton has scheduled sentencing for January 22, 2009, at which time ECCLESTON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.

This matter has been investigated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Police Department and the Connecticut State Police.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul H. McConnell.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov