A bookkeeper and office manager at a Hartford law firm has pleaded guilty in New Haven federal court to charges of bank fraud and tax evasion, according to reports. Heather Murdock, 58, of Ellington, admitted to stealing nearly $754,000 from the business and its owner over a period of more than a decade.
According to prosecutors, Murdock utilized the firm's software to generate hundreds of checks made out to herself, forging the signature of the firm's owner. She then manipulated bookkeeping entries to disguise approximately $578,279 of those payments as legitimate vendor expenses.
The scheme additionally involved taking $175,559 in cash from rental properties owned by the firm's principal. Murdock moved funds between accounts and falsified system records in order to conceal the thefts.
Federal authorities also stated that Murdock failed to report the stolen funds as income on her taxes. She underreported income for 2011 and 2012 and failed to file tax returns entirely from 2013 through 2022, resulting in $225,991 in unpaid federal taxes.
Under the terms of her plea agreement, Murdock is required to pay restitution of $753,838.70 to the firm, alongside her outstanding tax debt, penalties, and interest. She is currently released on a $40,000 bond, with her sentencing scheduled for December 1. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.
