WESTPORT — In separate cases, police have charged two women with embezzling money from Westport Federal Credit Union where both had worked, Westport police announced Wednesday.

On July 15, Westport Police Detective Robert Rebello concluded two investigations with the arrest of the two individuals.

Suzanne Nowicki, 46, of 42 Hemlock Street, Westport, was arrested and charged with embezzlement, and Rachel Gaudreau, 45, of 985 State Road, Westport was charged with forgery, uttering and embezzlement. The victim in both cases was the Westport Federal Credit Union.

“Although the charges were similar, these individuals did not conspire together during the commission of their crimes,” said Westport Detective Sergeant Christopher Dunn.

Ms. Nowicki had worked at the Westport Federal Credit Union from 2001 until 2018. Westport Police she she altered transactions in her own account for several years.

A forensic audit was requested by the Board of Directors of the Westport Federal Credit which directed Marcum Advisory and Consulting to conduct the analysis of transactions occurring from 2014 to 2018. During that time, it is alleged Ms. Nowicki embezzled over $19,000. Police say she told investigators that she had fallen on financial hard times and “screwed up.”

Ms. Gaudreau had worked at the Westport Federal Credit Union from 1995 until 2016. Police say she stole a bank check in excess of $7,500, forged the check along with the signature of another employee, then submitted the check to her credit card company to pay her bill.

The anomaly was found when bank staff discovered that they had no record of the fraudulent check and contacted their bank to confirm. Bank records showed that Ms. Gaudreau had deleted a second bank check which was made out for the exact same amount, thereby masking the fraudulent check, police say.

Response from a search warrant revealed that Ms. Gaudreau had submitted the fraudulent check to Visa. Ms. Gaudreau told investigators she had no recollection of the fraudulent bank check and had processed many bank checks during her tenure at the Westport Federal Credit Union, Sgt. Dunn said.

Both women were arraigned in Fall River District Court.

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