East Longmeadow Woman Charged With Embezzling Funds From Retirement Community

BOSTON – A former East Longmeadow woman was arrested today in Virginia after being charged in U.S. District Court in Springfield with embezzling funds from a retirement community.

Alice Lacroix, 53, was indicted on eight counts of wire fraud, eight counts of money laundering, and two counts of aiding and abetting the filing of false tax returns.

The indictment alleges that Lacroix, who was the manager of Bluebird Estates, a retirement living community in East Longmeadow, embezzled funds from her employer by stealing rent checks paid by tenants, as well as other checks and property belonging to her employer. It is alleged that Lacroix established a bank account in the name of Bluebird Estates into which she deposited the embezzled funds and then engaged in financial transactions designed to disguise the proceeds of the fraudulent scheme. Lacroix deceived her employer through emails that provided false information about the rent payments she took. The indictment also alleges that Lacroix aided and abetted in the filing of false income tax returns.

The maximum sentence under the wire fraud and money laundering statutes is 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and East Longmeadow Police Chief Douglas Mellis, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Grant of Ortiz’s Springfield Branch Office.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.