Manchester Woman Sentenced to 18 Months for Wire Fraud

            CONCORD - Katherine Torres, 47, of Manchester, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for 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 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 previously pleaded guilty on May 25, 2021.

            “This defendant took advantage of her employer’s trust to steal a substantial amount of money,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “This disturbing abuse of trust was a troubling crime that cannot be tolerated.  As this case demonstrates, white collar criminals will be caught and will face significant consequences for their unlawful conduct.”

            “It’s difficult to fathom how Katherine Torres could target, prey upon, and systematically rip off a school that cared for boys with behavioral, educational, and emotional issues, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from them, without a second thought. But she did exactly that, and with today’s sentence, she has finally been held accountable,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Criminals who prey on, and steal from, our most vulnerable citizens, should know their actions carry real consequences.”

            This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgiana L. MacDonald and Charles L. Rombeau.