Criminal Activity Began After Starting Psychiatric Drugs

From this report

A former secretary for an Adrian law firm was slapped Wednesday with maximum prison terms of up to 14 years. Harriet Laura Northrup was also ordered to repay $161,353 she is accused of embezzling from the firm and from a mentally impaired client.

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Northrup was accused of taking nearly $120,000 from Kralick’s law firm by writing and cashing forged checks in 2005 and 2006. Another $44,000 was taken from the estate of an elderly woman whom Northrup served as conservator.

Janet Williams told the court her mother, Beverly Bailey, was left penniless by Northrup. When she was appointed conservator, Northrup was trusted by the family, by Kralick and by the courts, said Williams.

“She deceived us all,” Williams said. She even took $29,000 from college trust accounts for Bailey’s grandchildren, Williams said.

“We feel Harriet deserves the maximum punishment, not a few months in jail,” Williams said.

In a written statement read by Jameson, Northrup asked not to be sentenced to prison.

“What useful purpose would be served?” she asked. “Please allow me a second chance as you have provided for others.”

Northrup’s statement also said the embezzlements were not worth the emotional suffering they caused.

“Nothing is worth the pain I have caused my family and friends and Kralicks and the Baileys,” she said. “Remorseful is not even close to what I feel.”

In arguing for leniency, Jameson told the court that Northrup was diagnosed with depression and placed on medication at about the time the embezzlements began. He said she told him about strange urges to gamble and mentioned family health problems and housing expenses in explaining where the stolen money went.

“She intends to pay the restitution in this matter,” Jameson said.

Pickard said the court has not seen a penny of the money returned since Northrup was arrested in Florida and returned to Michigan in April.

“With the amount taken it’s hard to believe some of the money isn’t there,” Pickard said.

Also, the number of separate crimes over the two-year period, the abuse of authority and victimization of a vulnerable person that are involved in the case all help justify exceeding sentence guidelines, Pickard said.

He also gave her maximum sentences of 80 months to 10 years in prison for an embezzlement charge and 40 months to five years for a false pretenses charge.

Northrup’s sentencing was adjourned last week after she filed a motion to withdraw her guilty pleas, claiming she did not understand what she was doing at the time. She dropped the request Wednesday without explanation.