Former Administrative Assistant Alleged to Have Stolen $800,000 from Saugus Library

Ex-Saugus library employee accused of stealing over $800K: MyFoxBOSTON.com

Donations to library feared lost. Former worker charged in $800,000 theft. (Boston Globe, 12/18/2011)

Excerpt: Duffy, 65, is alleged to have diverted fees for overdue books and videos, and charitable donations, including more than $450,000 from the GE Foundation, into an account she controlled at Eastern Bank. She used the money to pay the mortgage on her Saugus home, dental bills, car repairs, jewelry, hotel stays, and other personal expenses, according to the indictment.

The alleged theft stunned Saugus, a town often in fiscal trouble. In 2007, the library was closed temporarily after residents rejected a trash fee to generate more revenue. After town funding slipped below state standards, the library lost its certification, as well as the chance to apply for state matching funds in 2008. Certification was restored a year later, after money was trimmed from other town departments for funding.