GOFFSTOWN, NH – Renee Crawford, the now former assistant vice chairman of finance at Saint Anselm School, allegedly created a pretend firm and used it to cost the college for greater than $40,000 in companies that had been by no means rendered.

Now Crawford is about to plead responsible on Monday to a federal cost for stealing from a program that receives federal funds.

The cost stems from the truth that the Benedictine school in Goffstown, like most faculties, participates in federal financing packages and receives grants from the Division of Training.

Crawford was charged earlier this month in the US Superior Courtroom in Harmony. She allegedly created an organization referred to as NH DESIGNZ in January of 2019 and billed the school $20,000 for emblem design work that by no means befell.

After the school issued the verify to the corporate, she picked it up herself relatively than mailing it, as was commonplace follow. In keeping with the plea settlement filed in court docket, Crawford filed for a commerce title for the enterprise with the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s Workplace that very same day she picked up the verify. A few days later she opened a checking account for the enterprise, and later deposited the verify into the enterprise account, in response to the plea settlement.

Crawford did it once more in 2020, 3 times billing the school for work completed by NH DESIGNZ. She took a complete of $44,000 by means of this scheme, in response to the plea, and used the cash for private bills.

Moreover, Crawford used her college-issued bank card for issues like household holidays and theme park tickets, in response to the plea settlement. Crawford reportedly created fraudulent receipts and invoices to justify these bills.

Crawford’s legal professional, Richard Guerriero, declined to remark forward of Monday’s plea listening to. School representatives didn’t reply to a request for remark.

Crawford is going through a most of as much as 10 years in jail and a $250,000 effective. Nevertheless, below the phrases of the plea settlement, she is going to serve six months home arrest and spend two years on probation. She may even be required to pay the college greater than $66,000 in restitution.