Ex-office manager of Dartmouth College newspaper stole $223,000
May 1—A former office manager for a student-run newspaper at Dartmouth College pleaded guilty in federal court this week to embezzling $223,000 from the publication, federal prosecutors said in a news release.
Nicole Chambers, 40, of Florida, a former resident of Springfield, Vermont, served as the student paper's office manager between 2012 and 2021.
Chambers pleaded guilty Tuesday to wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled sentencing for August 12.
Between April 2017 and September 2021, federal prosecutors say Chambers stole money from the newspaper, also known as "The D." In her role as office manager, Chambers had full access to the publication's finances, including its bank account, PayPal and Venmo accounts and debit card.
Prosecutors said Chambers used her access to the newspaper's PayPal accounts to make unauthorized transfers to accounts she controlled. She also made unauthorized transfers from its Venmo account and made unauthorized purchases on the newspaper's debit card, court documents allege.
In total, prosecutors say Chambers stole $223,372.51 from the newspaper, spending the money on herself, including more than $20,000 on personal trips and $2,000 on fees associated with a court case involving her husband in Newport County Superior Court in Rhode Island.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater.
Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with Hanover police and the Grafton County Attorney's Office providing assistance.
