NORTH HAVERHILL — Former Bernice A. Ray School Principal Matthew Laramie is slated to change his pleas in a case involving allegations that he misused thousands of dollars of district money between January 2014 and March 2016.
Laramie, who no longer works for the Hanover school system, initially pleaded not guilty to four felony counts of theft by deception in Grafton Superior Court. On Tuesday, he intends to plead guilty to two counts of theft by deception as part of a plea agreement, a court document indicates.
As part of that deal, Laramie would be sentenced to one year in Grafton County jail, suspended except for 28 days to be served on weekends, the document states. He would receive a second 2½- to five-year sentence, all suspended.
Laramie would remain on probation for four years. The remaining two counts would be dismissed.
Messages left for Laramie and his attorney, Steve Mirkin, weren’t returned.
Laramie, who resigned from his post as principal in 2016 and voluntarily gave up his education credentials in October of that same year, is alleged to have diverted school funds for personal purposes four times between January 2014 and March 2016, according to charges filed in November 2018.
Hanover school officials in 2016 said questions had arisen about nearly $34,000 in “unapproved” expenses Laramie had charged to his school-issued credit card for what were supposed to be professional development activities.
The case took a while to develop, but Hanover Police Chief Charlie Dennis said his department sent its report to the Grafton County Attorney’s Office in late 2017. Former County Attorney Lara Saffo declined to comment on the gap. A message left for current Grafton County Attorney Marcie Hornick wasn’t returned.
The school district previously declined to pursue charges in the case after the district’s insurance company cut a check for $33,850 in the summer of 2016.
“The School Board’s initial interest was recouping the monies that were lost, and that has been accomplished,” then-SAU 70 Superintendent Frank Bass said in August 2016.
Superintendent Jay Badams and Laramie said previously that they were surprised to hear of the indictments.
In October 2016, Laramie was found guilty in Lebanon District Court of soliciting prostitution in Canaan. During a sting operation by the Canaan Police Department, Laramie offered to pay an undercover officer for sex acts.
As part of a plea deal in that case, Laramie pleaded no contest to a violation instead of the class B misdemeanor he originally faced. He also received a $500 fine.
Laramie’s plea and sentencing hearing in the theft case is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon in the North Haverhill courthouse.
Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.