LAWRENCE — Investigators said a former accounting clerk in the probation department of Lawrence District Court embezzled more than $2 million.
Marie Morey, 38, of 18 Greenfield St., was arrested at her home last night by state police after being secretly indicted earlier in the day by an Essex County grand jury, charged with stealing $2,037,725.21 from that department's account.
Morey, who has worked at the same job for 19 years, was being held last night at the state police barracks in Danvers.
A release from the Essex County district attorney's office last night did not indicate over how long a time the thefts occurred.
Morey was expected to be arraigned this morning in Salem Superior Court on charges of larceny of property over $250 and filing/publishing a false written report by a public employee.
Morey faces up to five years in state prison if convicted on the larceny charge, and could receive a year in the county jail for the charge of filing a false report.
Police had initially arrested Morey on Sept. 30 after she was charged with larceny over $250 for allegedly stealing $6,350 from the probation department.
Prosecutors said Morey "manipulated the records and bank deposits" of the probation department, enabling her to take the money on Feb. 3 and 4, 2009.
Internal auditors of the Office of the Trial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts uncovered the thefts.
Lawrence District Court First Justice Thomas M. Brennan set bail at the same amount allegedly stolen and also ordered Morey to report to probation daily by phone and to surrender her passport.
"But investigators suspected that much more than that amount was missing," Steve O'Connell, spokesman for the Essex County district attorney's office, said in a brief statement last night.
"An exhaustive search by auditors from the Administrative Office of the Trial Court, along with state police Sgt. Barry Brodette assigned to the Essex district attorney's office, determined that Morey had allegedly stolen more than $2 million from the probation department of the Lawrence District Court," he said.
O'Connell declined to elaborate, but said more details will be forthcoming at today's arraignment.
District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett credited the work of the Trial Court auditors and investigators, and also acknowledged the assistance of Brennan and Clerk Magistrate Keith McDonough in the state police probe.
Prosecutors have sought bail in the case, calling Morey "a flight risk" because of her ties to the Dominican Republic. They said Morey had talked to others about going to the Dominican Republic and had put in for her District Court retirement funds and had asked for cash in advance.
But one of her attorneys, John Valerio, argued she posed no risk. He noted that she's a longtime probation employee, owns a home, and has two children in the city's schools.
Valerio also said Morey had gone to the Dominican Republic to visit her mother, who lives there, over the summer, and had returned.
Attorney Fred McAlary also is representing Morey.
Assistant District Attorney Michael Patten is prosecuting the case.
Morey's latest arrest comes on the heels of last month's retirement of George Corkery as the chief probation officer at Lawrence District Court.
Corkery has said previously that his retirement had been long-planned and had nothing to do with the investigation of Morey.
"I am not resigning. I am retiring," Corkery told a reporter, noting his 37 years of service.
