On July 10, former SAU 86 bookkeeper Amy Burley of Barnstead was sentenced in federal circuit court.
Burley pled guilty on February 23 to stealing money from the Barnstead and Hampton, New Hampshire School Districts.
After receiving sentencing recommendations from prosecution and defense attorneys, U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro ordered a sentence of 12 months and one day in federal prison and 2 years of supervised release. Burley was also ordered to pay $131,261.81 in restitution.
Barnstead School District superintendent Timothy Broadrick and District treasurer made victim impact statements to the court. The Hampton School District's director of finance also addressed the court.
"I'm pleased to see this matter resolved and appreciate that the judge issued a sentence at the highest end of the recommendations presented to him. These were serious crimes over a long period of time, with significant premeditation and attempts to cover up the facts," Broadrick said. "While the taxpayers have received repayment of the money Mrs. Burley stole, there will never be compensation for the enormous staff time that has gone into unraveling her misconduct both over the last couple of years and, unfortunately, into the future."
In a US Attorney's Office press release, FBI Boston Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher DiMenna said, “Instead of working honestly on behalf of two financially struggling school districts, Amy Burley took advantage of them, betraying the trust they placed in her, by stealing tens of thousands of dollars to line her own pockets. Her selfish greed is an affront to all the hard-working students and taxpayers struggling to make ends meet, and today’s sentence ensures she’s held accountable for her criminal conduct.”
Barnstead central office employees cooperated with Barnstead Police and the FBI in their investigations. Since Burley's crimes were discovered, the District has employed a new business administrator and superintendent who have proposed eleven new financial control policies for school board approval and who developed a guide to purchasing and other fiscal documentation procedures for all staff in the District.