A former state tax examiner has pleaded guilty to embezzling just over $15,000 from the Vermont Department of Taxes.
In the plea agreement, Chelsea Hoadley admitted to stealing the money late last year. In exchange, she was sentenced to 18 to 36 months — all of which was suspended, except for 90 days of home confinement furlough.
The Attorney General’s Office, which prosecuted the case, said that sentence was determined in part by Hoadley’s status as an expectant mother.
“We believe we’ve struck an appropriate balance,” said Earl Fechter, assistant attorney general. “We took her actions into account, and you know, she’ll be a convicted felon — that’ll be on her record.”
He noted that Hoadley will have a “significant” period of supervision, and that she has no criminal history.
“The public interest is no longer in jeopardy from this action,” Fechter said.
In January, state police found that the Greensboro Bend then-26-year-old had made four electronic tax return deposits into an account Hoadley controlled — one in October 2018, two in November, and one in December. Police said the money was used to pay online bills.
Hoadley allegedly changed 2012 and 2015 tax returns of someone she knew personally, but according to police, the taxpayer was not the victim of any monetary loss as a result of her actions.
Fechter said though he doesn’t know whether it’s typical to avoid jail time when it comes to cases involving pregnant women, he said it’s definitely typical for judges to consider cases individually based on all the facts and circumstances involved.
He said he didn’t have enough data to speak to whether there’s a trend of white collar criminals not having to serve jail time in Vermont.
“But the Vermont Attorney General’s Office takes seriously crimes like this one involving a breach of the public trust,” Fetcher said.
A restitution hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 2.
