Chelsea Sunn Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Former Employer

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Chelsea Sunn, 31, of White River Junction, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court in Burlington to a charge of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge William Sessions III released Sunn on conditions pending sentencing, which has been scheduled for December 4.

On July 7, 2023, the United States Attorney filed a one-count information charging Sunn with wire fraud. Sunn pleaded guilty to that information today in court. According to the information, between 2016 and April 2020, Sunn, who was then known as Chelsea Roy, was employed by Blakeman’s Towing and Recovery, a business in White River Junction. Sunn was hired as a full-time office worker but later converted to part-time employment. Sunn was compensated on an hourly basis that included time-and-one-half pay for claimed overtime work. Among other duties, Sunn handled Blakeman’s billing and payroll.  

According to the information, beginning no later than December 2018 and continuing at least until March 2020, Sunn defrauded Blakeman’s Towing and Recovery by falsely inflating the hours she reportedly worked. This caused Blakeman’s to pay Sunn tens of thousands of dollars beyond her authorized compensation. 
 
In the course of defrauding Blakeman’s Towing and Recovery, Sunn used the interstate wire communication system to report her fraudulently-inflated work hours, and caused Blakeman’s to make electronic direct deposits of fraudulently-obtained funds into Sunn’s bank account in Vermont.

Sunn faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
  
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service.

Sunn is represented by David Kirby, Esq. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.