Press Release  Somerset Woman Pleads Guilty, Sentenced in Connection with Stealing More Than $2 Million from Former Employer

Boston — A former employee at First Bristol Corporation has pleaded guilty and been sentenced in connection with stealing more than $2 million from the commercial real estate company, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

Suzanne Coriaty, age 59, of Somerset, pleaded guilty last week to the charges of Larceny Over $250 and False Entries in Corporate Books (two counts each) in Bristol Superior Court.

After the plea was entered, Judge Raffi Yessayan sentenced Coriaty to 5 years of probation after hearing differing recommendations from the parties.

The AG’s Office began an investigation in November 2015 after a referral from the Bristol District Attorney’s Office. First Bristol Corporation (First Bristol) is a privately held real estate development and management company based in Fall River. In her position as controller, Coriaty was responsible for supervising the company’s bookkeeping staff, and had authority to issue checks from all of First Bristol’s checking accounts. Prior to her termination in November 2015, Coriaty had worked for First Bristol for almost 30 years.

Authorities found that between 2007 and 2015, Coriaty used two different schemes to steal funds from the company. Through the first, she requested checks payable to Citibank by falsely stating that they would be used to pay off the president’s credit card. Coriaty then used these unauthorized First Bristol checks to pay off her own personal credit cards. She paid off her credit card bill with checks to Citibank that were generally between $15,000 to $30,000.

Through the second scheme, Coriaty made out checks to herself drawn on First Bristol’s payroll account. She made entries in the corporate books to make it appear that these checks were payable to other employees as bonuses, commissions, or reimbursement payments. In total, Coriaty stole $2,371,008.82.

This case was handled by Assistant Attorneys General Gabriel Thornton and Sara Yoffe of AG Healey’s White Collar and Public Integrity Division. This case was investigated by Stephen Bethoney of AG Healey’s Financial Investigations Division and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the AG’s Office and to the Bristol District Attorney’s Office.

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