Brattleboro Woman Sentenced to Prison for Fraud

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Julie Houle, 40, of Brattleboro, Vermont, was sentenced on May 13, 2009, in United States District Court in Rutland, Vermont, to serve 60-days imprisonment and a three (3) year term of supervised release following her guilty plea to one count of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and one count of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344. United States District Judge J. Garvan Murtha also ordered Houle to pay a $200 special assessment and restitution in the amount of $276,127.00.

According to court documents, Houle was employed by CBI of New England, Inc., as an administrative assistant. Among her job duties were answering telephones, preparing correspondence, conducting banking transactions, maintaining the company’s financial records, and preparing checks for signature. Houle did not have authority to sign checks or otherwise obligate CBI financially. Beginning in or about 1999, Houle began writing unauthorized checks on CBI’s checking account. These checks were written to herself, cash, or directly to credit card and other companies to cover personal obligations she incurred. Houle’s theft of money from CBI for her own benefit continued until approximately February 2007, when a $50,000.00 line of credit she fraudulently obtained from Chittenden Bank in the name of CBI of New England was discovered. According to an analysis of her fraudulent transactions done by the FBI, the total amount stolen by Houle was approximately $336,000. The victim of her fraudulent conduct, CBI, put the total amount of loss at $276,127.00.

The prosecution of Houle was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara Masterson. Houle was represented by Paul Volk of Blodgett, Watts, Volk & Sawyer.

United States Attorney Van de Graaf commended the efforts of the Brattleboro Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in conducting the investigation and prosecution of Houle.