North Carolina Woman Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Federal Prison for Embezzling More Than $500,000 from Farwell Funeral Service in Nashua

CONCORD - A North Carolina woman was sentenced today in federal court in Concord in connection with charges arising out of her embezzlement of more than a half a million dollars from her previous employer, Farwell Funeral Service Inc. in Nashua, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

LaSaundra Simmons, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante to 27 months in prison and 2 years of supervised release. The defendant was ordered to pay $541,381in restitution. On May 20, 2024, Simmons pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

Simmons worked as the bookkeeper for Farwell Funeral Service, Inc. for several years. Starting in 2015, and continuing until it was discovered in January 2023, Simmons employed a scheme to embezzle funds from the company. On more than 100 occasions, she either made unauthorized wire transfers of funds from the funeral home's bank account to her own account, or drafted unauthorized checks which she deposited by electronic wire transfer into her own account. She would often describe these checks as "commissions" or "consulting fees." She embezzled $541,381 over the course of the scheme.

"Ms. Simmons's conduct was egregious, long-running, and did great harm to a third-generation New Hampshire small business," said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. "Today's sentence is a measure of justice for the victim and a warning to other fraudsters that if you steal from your employer, you will be prosecuted and incarcerated."

"LaSaundra Simmons betrayed the trust of the family-run funeral home where she worked, and stole more than half a million dollars from them, using their money as her own," said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. "The FBI will diligently investigate and bring to justice anyone who engages in such egregious financial fraud."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Nashua Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case.

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