A former Assistant Clerk Magistrate at Salem District Court is accused of stealing bail money she collected and using it for herself, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

The Attorney General’s Office announced Tuesday that an Essex Grand Jury has returned indictments against Michelle Bowman, 51, of Danvers, on charges relating to misuing more than $71,000 in bail funds and forging a form to conceal her actions while she served as a bail magistrate and an Assistant Clerk Magistrate in Salem District Court.

“We’ve been investigating for some time now and obviously we take allegations of embezzlement quite seriously, especially when done by public officials,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell.

In May 2024, while trying to process a bail forfeiture, Lawrence Distri

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