A former Massachusetts court clerk has been indicted for allegedly embezzling bail funds that authorities believe she might have spent on trips to Las Vegas, Barbados and Aruba, along with jewelry, designer perfume, high-end clothing and event tickets.
Michelle Bowman, 51, of Danvers, was indicted by an Essex County Grand Jury for misusing over $71,000 in bail funds while serving as a bail magistrate and assistate clerk magistrate in Salem District Court, according to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.
The situation came to light in May of 2024, when Lawrence District Court staff attempting to process a bail forfeiture realized the $25,000 in bail funds had never been received by the court and were missing. When the missing bail money was noticed, the attorney general’s office said Bowman submitted a forged recognizance form to the court for the missing bail, altering dates to make it look like the bail had been received more recently than it had been…