ORANGE — A 51-year-old woman from Nampa, Idaho, has been indicted for allegedly stealing $68,000 from the Town of Orange and was arrested on a Massachusetts warrant, according to a statement issued by the Orange Police Department.
Jennifer Grasmick was taken into custody in Idaho and is expected to be arraigned in Greenfield Superior Court in early June. According to the department’s announcement, the indictment stems from a felony larceny investigation involving the Town of Orange. Police said probable cause was found to charge Grasmick with defrauding the town.
Authorities have not stated whether Grasmick’s case is connected to the broader invoice fraud scheme that led Orange officials to seek a state financial review earlier this year. That scheme — still under investigation by the FBI, Orange police, and the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office — resulted in $338,000 in municipal losses through fake invoices. Officials said the total attempted fraud exceeded $800,000, but some payments were stopped by banks, limiting the town’s actual loss to $338,000. The scheme is believed to be part of a broader money-mule operation, in which individuals — sometimes unknowingly — are used to receive and move stolen funds, often through fake invoices or fraudulent transactions.
Photo courtesy of the Orange Police Department
During a July 2024 Selectboard meeting, officials discussed pursuing a financial management review through the Massachusetts Department of Revenue following revelations that the town had paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent invoices. The town has since considered significant budget cuts, including the possible closure of public libraries.
The Orange Police Department credited the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office — specifically Assistant District Attorneys Nick Atallah and Steven Gagne — for their assistance in the investigation involving Grasmick. Further details, including how the alleged fraud was carried out, have not been disclosed yet.
News Link Live has reached out to the Orange Police Department for clarification on whether Grasmick’s indictment is connected to the broader invoice fraud investigation. This story will be updated if additional information becomes available.
