Stephanie Pratt, 39, of Keene, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release for embezzling nearly $500,000 from her former employer, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire announced Tuesday.
Pratt, who worked as the office administrator for a company based in Hinsdale, New Hampshire, had unrestricted access to the company’s finances, including its bank accounts and credit cards. Over the course of six and a half years, from 2015 to 2021, she embezzled $492,325, using the company’s funds for her personal expenses.
Among her unauthorized purchases were more than $5,600 for NFL tickets to attend Tom Brady’s return to Gillette Stadium in 2021 and over $50,000 spent on Amazon. Pratt also used company credit cards for more than 1,000 personal transactions.
When confronted about the theft, Pratt lied to the company, claiming the company owner had directed her to cash checks for the owner’s son. However, the U.S. Attorney’s Office later confirmed that the owner’s son had already passed away by the time of the alleged transactions. Pratt even doctored the company’s financial records, altering credit card statements to hide her fraudulent charges.
Pratt claimed her unauthorized use of the company credit cards was the result of accidentally selecting the wrong payment option, even though this “mistake” occurred over 1,000 times.
Even after her termination for embezzlement, Pratt continued her deception, reportedly demanding a Christmas bonus from the company’s widowed owner.
Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division, said, “Stephanie Pratt is a greedy, serial fraudster who is being sent to prison for defrauding her employer and siphoning almost half-a-million dollars to live well beyond her means.”
“This sentence holds Ms. Pratt responsible for her clear disdain for the law and demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to going after those who victimize others for their own financial gain,” Cohen added.
Pratt’s sentence serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of embezzlement and fraud in the workplace. The FBI continues to combat financial crimes like these, ensuring that those who exploit their positions for personal gain are held accountable.
