SPRINGFIELD RESIDENT CONVICTED OF MISAPPLICATION AND EMBEZZLEMENT OF CREDIT UNION FUNDS

Springfield, MA... A Springfield woman was convicted today in federal court of aiding and abetting in the misapplication and embezzlement of funds by the former executive director of the D. Edward Wells Federal Credit Union.

United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Michael J. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation in New York; Douglas Bricker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation in New England: Kenneth W. Kaiser, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New England; and Peter Emerzian, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Housing and Urban Development in Boston, announced today that MARY SPRUELL, age 67, of Springfield, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Ponsor to aiding and abetting the misapplication of credit union funds and filing a false tax return.

At today's plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that, had the case proceeded to trial, the Government's evidence would have proven that SPRUELL embezzled and misapplied approximately $109,000 in credit union funds. The prosecutor said that the evidence would have shown that because of her close relationship with Wells Credit Union former executive director, Carol Aranjo, SPRUELL was allowed to write checks and make withdrawals when she did not have funds in her accounts to cover the expenditures. The crime spanned the time period of May 2000 to February 2003, when federal regulators took control of the credit union.

Last week on July 6, 2006, a federal grand jury returned an eighty-six-count Indictment charging Aranjo, her husband, Alphonso Smith, and her son, Douglas Smith, with conspiracy to embezzle funds from the credit union, among other crimes. The three entered not guilty pleas on July 7, 2006.

Judge Ponsor scheduled sentencing for November 15, 2006. SPRUELL faces up to 30 years' imprisonment, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Goodwin in Sullivan's Springfield Office.

Press Contact: Samantha Martin, (617) 748-3139