Ex-EMC Employee Arraigned For Alleged Theft Of $220K-Plus

The employee, Madeline Vinton, served as an administrative assistant at EMC's Hopkinton, Mass., headquarters from April 2006 until early this year, when EMC started investigation of the alleged theft, according to a report from the Middlesex County District Attorney's office in Woburn, Mass.

The MetroWest Daily News of Framingham, Mass., reported that Vinton pleaded not guilty of the charges and was ordered by the court to be held on $7,500 cash bail.

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According to the District Attorney's office, Vinton is alleged to have illegally used an EMC-issued credit card to charge over $155,000 in personal expenses, with the money being spent on limousine rides, Amazon.com purchases, hotels, meals, rental cars and tickets to Boston Celtics games. Another $500 was charged to that card on plastic surgery, the D.A. alleged.

Vinton also allegedly made "fraudulent purchases" on her boss's company credit card and requested payments of over $48,000 on overtime the D.A. said she never worked.

EMC early this year began investigating possible theft after noticing a "pattern of travel and expense activities that were inconsistent with Vinton's role and assigned duties," according to the D.A.'s report.

EMC terminated Vinton's employment in February. She was arraigned in the Framingham, Mass. District Court on March 30, indicted by a Middlesex County, Mass. Grand Jury on June 7, and arraigned on larceny charges Wednesday. A pre-trial conference in the case is set for August 29.

EMC confirmed that Vinton was a former administrative assistant for the company, but declined to specify for which department she worked. The company declined any other response other than to point to the D.A.'s online report and issue a statement that read, "EMC is cooperating with the authorities."

The D.A.'s office declined to provide any other information other than its report.

PUBLISHED JULY 12, 2012