Westhampton woman charged with embezzlement

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (AP) - A Westhampton woman charged with embezzling more than $200,000 from her former employer has pleaded not guilty.

Lori Towne was arraigned Tuesday in Hampshire Superior Court on charges including larceny, forgery and embezzlement following her indictment last week. She is accused of using the money for personal expenses.

The Springfield Republican reports that Judge Jeffrey Kinder released Towne on her own recognizance on the condition that she not work in a job with responsibility for financial matters. A pretrial hearing is set for April 29.

Prosecutors say the 50-year-old Towne was employed as a bookkeeper at SealRyt Corp. and embezzled the money between 2002 and 2009. The company makes industrial sealing devices. It was located in Easthampton before relocating to Westfield.

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