ORANGE, Mass. — An arrest has been made in connection with a fraudulent invoice scheme that siphoned $338,000 from the town of Orange during the summer of 2023.
Jennifer Grasmick, 51, of Nampa, Idaho, was taken into custody by local authorities and faces a felony larceny indictment in Franklin County Superior Court. She is accused of defrauding the town out of $68,000 and is expected to be arraigned in early June.
“I would feel better if she could just cut a check to us,” said Orange Police Chief James Sullivan on Friday. He confirmed that the FBI continues to investigate a second suspect believed to be responsible for the remaining $270,000 in losses tied to fraudulent invoices.
Town Administrator Matthew Fortier, who began his role on August 21, 2023, said he and the finance team uncovered the fraud in early September.
“We got hit for more than that. It was up over $800,000 total, but the banks were able to stop some of those payments,” Fortier stated during a Selectboard meeting in May 2024.
The financial hit deeply affected the town’s operations — at one point, Orange nearly had to shut down its two public libraries to recover funds.
Sullivan expressed relief over the arrest, not just for accountability, but also to combat online speculation that the fraud originated within Town Hall. “This shows our staff are honest, hardworking people,” he said, adding that the arrest should restore taxpayer confidence.
The investigation is ongoing, with federal authorities continuing to track the second suspect involved in the larger portion of the scam.
