Attleboro Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $400,000

BOSTON – The former office manager for a Franklin environmental services business pleaded guilty on Oct. 15, 2025 in federal court in Boston to embezzling more than $400,000 from her employer.  

Marie Hobson, 54, of Attleboro, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Jan. 22, 2026. Hobson was charged on Oct. 1, 2025.

Between December 2019 and March 2025, Hobson inflated her own payroll by adding approximately $268,046 in phony expense reimbursements, such as uniform costs even though Hobson did not wear a uniform in her position. To conceal the thefts, Hobson manipulated her employer’s accounting software to make it appear she was only receiving her weekly salary. Hobson also misused her company-issued credit card to pay for country club memberships, vacations, cruises, timeshares and personal residence costs totaling more than $105,000.

To further conceal her scheme, Hobson failed to report the funds that she embezzled on her federal income tax filings for tax years 2021 through 2024, resulting in a tax loss to the government of approximately $81,000.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, restitution and forfeiture. The charge of filing a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Thomas E. Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. The Franklin Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rilwan Adeduntan of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.