Museum Sues ex-Officer for Embezzlement

The Fruitlands Museum “has taken a series of steps to improve its bookkeeping procedures and is confident it will successfully weather the $1 million embezzlement scheme that officials allege was carried out for seven years by Peggy Kempton, former deputy director and chief financial officer.”

The museum has filed a lawsuit in Worcester Superior Court against Kempton and her children, Bunker Kempton, Kristen Kempton, and Robert Kempton, all of Hollis, N.H.

The suit alleges that Kempton and her children obtained credit cards in the museum’s name and made personal purchases. It also alleges that Kempton used museum funds to pay for personal credit cards; violated her lease by not paying monthly rent for a museum-owned cottage; used Fruitlands funds to pay for utilities at the cottage; and diverted museum funds to her children. The suit alleges that Kempton concealed the financial charges and payments by falsely adjusting Fruitlands’ financial books and records.

The nonprofit museum has an annual budget of $1.2 million. More from the Boston Globe.