Michele Devine, a 51-year-old resident of Waterford, Connecticut, has been sentenced to two years in prison for embezzling funds from the Southeastern Regional Action Council on Substance Abuse, Inc. (SERAC). The sentencing was delivered by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport and includes three years of supervised release following her imprisonment.
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, confirmed that Devine must also pay a $2,000 fine and complete 300 hours of community service during her supervised release period.
SERAC is a nonprofit organization based in Norwich that provides services related to substance abuse, problem gambling, and mental health across 41 towns in southeastern and northeastern Connecticut. It receives substantial funding from state and federal grants provided by the State of Connecticut’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services as well as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Devine served as SERAC's executive director until July 2022. Starting around 2008, she misappropriated thousands of dollars for personal expenses such as home appliances, travel costs, timeshare fees at a resort in Connecticut, stays at Canyon Ranch in Massachusetts, and donations to private schools.
In addition to her prison sentence, Judge Underhill has ordered Devine to pay restitution amounting to $397,064.93.
Following her arrest on August 3, 2023, Devine pleaded guilty to wire fraud on October 21, 2024. She is currently free on a $25,000 bond but must report to prison by March 12.
The investigation into this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation alongside the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General with support from New London State’s Attorney’s Office and the State of Connecticut Office of the Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller prosecuted the case.