HARTFORD, Conn — Federal authorities charged a Waterford woman with fraud and theft in connection with her role as executive director of a mental health services nonprofit organization.
Michele Devine, 49, of Waterford, was charged with nine counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count, and two counts of theft from an agency receiving federal funds, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count. She was the former executive director of the Southeastern Regional Action Council on Substance Abuse, Inc.
Devine appeared in court on Thursday and entered a plea of not guilty. She was released on a $25,000 bond.
Officials said Southeastern Regional Action Council on Substance Abuse, Inc. serves 41 towns in southeastern and northeastern Connecticut with substance abuse, problem gambling, and mental health-related services. SERAC is primarily funded through state and federal grants from the State of Connecticut’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
They said Devine was the executive director of SERAC until July 2022. According to court records, Devine is alleged to have spent thousands of dollars on purchases that did not relate SERAC but instead appear to be personal expenses for her and her family. These charges include thousands of dollars spent on home appliances; a trip to the Canyon Ranch luxury spa in the Berkshires, Massachusetts; timeshare fees at the Water’s Edge resort; and purchases at Marshalls, Target, Amazon, Best Buy, Etsy, and scrapbooking/crafting websites.
Doug Stewart is the Senior Digital Content Producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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