PORTLAND (AP) – A Biddeford woman accused along with her husband of embezzling $200,000 from a fuel delivery company has pleaded guilty to 72 counts of federal wire fraud and four counts of tax evasion.

Prosecutors say 49-year-old Johanne Elie used company money to pay for jewelry, recreational vehicles, boats, vacations, motorcycles, bicycles and New England Patriots football ticket, among other things.

In a lawsuit, she and her husband are accused of stealing even more – up to $1 million – and trying to buy the company after its financial condition deteriorated.

Elie was hired first by Provencher Fuels of Biddeford and her husband came on board later. When she’s sentenced, she faces up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count and up to five years for each tax evasion charge.

AP-ES-02-12-08 2017EST


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