Worcester woman accused of fraud, thefts

September 28, 2007 08:26 am

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By Mark Boshnack

Staff Writer

A Worcester woman was arrested Wednesday on charges relating to an August fire at her home and several area thefts, Otsego deputies said.

Kathleen M. Spooner, 39, was charged with fourth-degree insurance fraud in relation to an Aug. 8 fire, a New York State Insurance Department official said.

The blaze was the subject of a story in the Aug. 9 edition of The Daily Star because a neighbor passing by the house was credited with putting out the flames, officials said.

Spooner was charged with fourth-degree insurance fraud in that case, said department spokesman David Neustadt.

Also Wednesday, the former Worcester English teacher was charged in several thefts, Otsego deputies said.

The charges include two counts of second-degree burglary, third- and fourth-degree grand larceny and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, all felonies, deputies said.

She also was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and petit larceny, both misdemeanors, deputies said. If convicted on all charges, she faces a total of 42 years in jail, said Otsego Investigator Michael Ten Eyck.

The home-fire case was referred to the agency by local fire officials, said state Insurance Department spokesman David Neustadt. Spooner made admissions during the investigation, he said, though he would not provide details.

The agency presented its findings to Otsego County District Attorney John Muehl, who decided which charges to bring, Neustadt said. Muehl did not return a call for comment Thursday night.

Ten Eyck said Spooner was a suspect in a couple of the thefts before the fire.

After several interviews with her and further investigation, she was charged with stealing $5,200 from a Worcester residence during a daytime burglary in July 2005, stealing $1,200 out of a Maryland residence in October 2005, stealing $200 from a Westford residence during a daytime burglary this month and possessing a wallet containing credit and debit cards at her home that was stolen from a car parked in Worcester during the summer of 2007.

Spooner was arraigned in Worcester Town Court and sent to Otsego County jail on $5,000 bail, pending reappearance next month.