Press Release  Former Salem District Court Assistant Clerk Magistrate Indicted, Arraigned For Embezzling Bail Funds

BOSTON — The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) announced today that an Essex County Grand Jury has returned indictments against Michelle Bowman, 51, of Danvers, on charges related to misusing more than $71,000 in bail funds and forging a recognizance form to conceal her wrongdoing while serving as a bail magistrate and an Assistant Clerk Magistrate in Salem District Court.  

According to the AGO, in May 2024, Lawrence District Court staff, while attempting to process a bail forfeiture, realized that the $25,000 in bail funds had never been received by the court and were missing. When the missing bail came to light, Bowman submitted a forged recognizance form to the court for the missing bail, altering dates to make it appear as though the bail was received more recently than it had been.   

An audit performed by the Trial Court subsequently revealed that eight bails, which Bowman had taken, were missing and had never been turned over to the relevant courts. These eight bails totaled $71,000. The audit also revealed that Bowman held some bail funds for far longer than bail magistrate rules permitted, and in one instance, kept a $75,000 bail for more than six months before paying it to the relevant court. 

After reviewing Bowman’s financial records, investigators discovered several withdrawals taken from her bail bank account which appeared to be for personal use, including $14,449 in payments to American Express, $14,021 in payments to her landlord, and $8,508 in cash withdrawals. During the relevant timeframe, Bowman took trips to Las Vegas, Barbados, and Aruba and spent money on jewelry, designer perfume, high-end clothing, and event tickets.  

Bowman is charged with Fiduciary Embezzlement and Unwarranted Privilege for her misuse of bail funds and Forgery and Uttering for creating and submitting a false recognizance form. She was arraigned on October 21 in Essex Superior Court and ordered to turn over her passport. Her next court date is December 12. 

This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Mindy Klenoff and Paralegal Natalie Caffrey of the AGO’s White Collar and Public Integrity Division and Director Sallyann Nelligan of the AGO’s Financial Investigations Division. The Massachusetts State Police also assisted in the investigation.  

The White Collar and Public Integrity Division investigates and prosecutes serious criminal misconduct involving crimes against public agencies, corrupt public employees and public entities, crimes that have a harmful effect on public confidence in our government and other trusted institutions, and financial crimes. 

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