Manchester Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

            CONCORD – Katherine Torres, 47, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

           According to court documents and statements made in court, Torres was employed as an office manager for Pine Haven Boys School in Allenstown, New Hampshire (Pine Haven) from 2012 until March 25, 2019.  As office manager, Torres was the sole employee responsible for administering payroll. On various occasions, Torres submitted false information to Pine Haven’s payroll company, causing direct deposits to be made into her personal bank accounts.  In total, Torres received approximately $240,000 through this scheme.             

           Torres is scheduled to be sentenced on August 31, 2021.

           “This defendant took advantage of the trust that was placed in her and stole nearly a quarter million dollars,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “Fraud schemes are serious crimes that can have a substantial impact on victims.  To seek justice for crime victims, we continue to work closely with the FBI and our other law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute white collar criminals.”            

           “The allegations to which Katherine Torres pleaded guilty today indicate both a disdain for the rule of law and a clear-cut case of greed. Ms. Torres betrayed the trust of her employer by using her position at a residential facility that cared for boys with behavioral, educational, and emotional issues, to defraud them of hundreds of thousands of dollars to line her own pockets,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “What she did is disgraceful, and make no mistake, the FBI is committed to investigating anyone engaged in this type of criminal activity.”

            This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana L. MacDonald.