Stratford Woman Gets Two Years in Prison for Embezzling $1m

The following is based on a press release from United States Attorney District of Connecticut.

A 47-year-old Stratford woman who in December pled guilty to embezzling about $1 million from her Greenwich employer was sentenced Monday to two years in prison, followed by three years supervised release.

Claire Balducci was facing a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. On Dec. 12, the Stratford woman waived her right to indictment and entered a guilty plea to one count of wire fraud related to the embezzlement.

Balducci began her 24-month sentence Monday.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Balducci worked as the office manager for a private investment company based in Greenwich. As office manager, she had access to six business bank accounts.

Between approximately September 2008 and November 2011, Balducci issued numerous checks from the firm’s business accounts payable to herself, to “cash” and to third-party vendors, all of which she deposited in her personal bank account.

Balducci also opened a credit card account in the name of the managing partner of the victim company and authorized herself as a co-user of the account. She then made unauthorized charges for personal expenses on the account.

Through these schemes, Balducci embezzled approximately $1 million. Chief Judge Thompson ordered Balducci to pay restitution in the amount of $995,000. 

This investigation was conducted by the Greenwich Police Department and the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, which includes members of the United States Secret Service; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the United States Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security; the Internal Revenue Service -- Criminal Investigation; the Connecticut State Police; and the Greenwich, Hartford, Shelton and Stamford Police Departments. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.