ORANGE – An arrest has been made in connection with the fraudulent invoices that drained $338,000 from the town’s coffers in the summer of 2023.

Jennifer Grasmick, 51, of Nampa, Idaho, was recently taken into custody in her town by area authorities on suspicion of defrauding Orange out of $68,000. The arrest warrant was based on a felony larceny indictment in Franklin County Superior Court, where Grasmick is expected to be arraigned in early June.

“I would feel better if she could just cut a check to us,” Police Chief James Sullivan said on Friday morning.

He said the FBI, which assigned an agent to the fraud case, is still investigating another suspect believed to have been responsible for the theft of the remaining $270,000 through fraudulent invoices.

Town Administrator Matthew Fortier previously explained that he started in his position on Aug. 21, 2023, and he and other members of the town’s finance team discovered the fraud in early September of that year.

“We got hit for more than that. It was up over $800,000, total. But the banks were able to stop some of those payments,” he said after a Selectboard meeting in May 2024.

The fraud has had a devastating financial effect on Orange, which as a result nearly had to close its two libraries to save money.

Sullivan said there is a great deal of satisfaction and relief regarding the arrest – not only because someone is being held accountable, but also because he hopes this puts an end to online rumors that the fraud was the result of an inside job within Orange Town Hall. Sullivan said the arrest should reassure taxpayers that town employees are honest, hardworking people.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.