Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHELE DEVINE, 50, of Waterford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to a fraud offense in connection with her embezzlement from the Southeastern Regional Action Council on Substance Abuse, Inc. (“SERAC”), where she was employed as its executive director.
According to court documents and statements made in court, SERAC, headquartered in Norwich, is a 501(c)(3) organization that serves 41 towns in southeastern and northeastern Connecticut with substance abuse, problem gambling, and mental health related services. SERAC is primarily funded through hundreds of thousands of dollars in 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.
Devine was the executive director of SERAC until July 2022. Beginning in approximately 2008, Devine spent thousands of dollars on purchases that did not relate SERAC but instead were personal expenses for Devine and her family, including thousands of dollars spent on home appliances; travel; timeshare fees at a Connecticut resort; stays at the Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires, Massachusetts; and private school donations.
The government contends that Devine stole nearly $400,000 from SERAC.
Devine pleaded guilty to wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for January 13.
Devine was arrested on August 3, 2023. She is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the New London State’s Attorney’s Office and the State of Connecticut Office of the Attorney General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.