A Schoharie County woman who stole more than $203,000 from a nonprofit serving agricultural and rural communities was sentenced to five years' probation, including eight months of home detention.
Sarah Blood, 44, of Richmondville, also must repay $203,941.54 to State Agricultural and Rural Leaders Inc., according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York. U.S. District Judge Anne Nardacci imposed the sentence Sept. 29 after Blood pleaded guilty in April to embezzling from the organization.
Blood was the organization's executive director from August 2019 to October 2023. The nonprofit, managed by state and local legislators, promotes cooperation and education among agricultural and rural communities, prosecutors said.
The organization received funding from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Her position gave her responsibility for its finances and access to its checking account. Between July 2020 and August 2023, she transferred money from the nonprofit's account to herself and used its debit card for unauthorized transactions, according to prosecutors.
The purchases included a luxury cruise, flights, hotels and personal items from Amazon and Walmart. The losses forced the organization to cancel its 2024 annual conference and seek emergency fundraising, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarcone said Blood had abused a position of trust at a federally funded organization and would have to repay the money in full. He said the U.S. Attorney's Office had investigated the case for three years.
The FBI's Albany field office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Paulbeck and Nicholas Walter prosecuted it.
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