This story was originally produced by The Keene Sentinel. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
A former Hinsdale selectboard chair has pleaded guilty to embezzling about $345,000 from the Phelps Company while working there as operations manager.
Michael Darcy spent about $142,000 of the stolen money on pornography and adult websites, according to the indictments in U.S. District Court in Concord.
Darcy, 49, was accused of forging his employer’s signature to write dozens of unauthorized checks on the company’s checking account between December 2019 and December 2024, the indictments state. Darcy’s role as operations manager gave him access to the company’s checkbook, and he concealed unapproved withdrawals by labeling them incorrectly on the company’s accounting records, according to the indictments.
He pleaded guilty this week to five counts of bank fraud, which carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. A sentencing is set for Oct. 28.
Darcy was a Hinsdale selectman from 2012 to 2020.
