Greenwich office manager pleads guilty to embezzlement

A Greenwich woman pleaded guilty to wire fraud Wednesday for embezzling more than $176,000 from her employer, New England Oil Co., according to the U.S. attorney”™s office in Connecticut.

Michelle Crawford was the office manager at the Greenwich-based company, where she had access to its bank accounts, credit cards and payment system. From May 2011 to May 2014, she embezzled money by making unauthorized withdrawals and using company funds to pay personal expenses while disguising them in company records as legitimate expenses, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

Crawford waived her right to indictment and pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced in July and faces a maximum prison term of 20 years.