Walpole woman on trial in bank fraud case

Prosecutors say checks written from accounts that did not have enough money in them were then quickly moved into other accounts to create the appearance of available funds.

A three-day trial got underway Tuesday for Caitlin Vittum, 37, of Walpole, who is accused of using a check-kiting scheme to take money from local banks.

Vittum is charged with felony theft by deception involving more than $1,500. Prosecutors say the case centers on checks written from accounts that did not have enough money in them, then quickly moved into other accounts to create the appearance of available funds. She has entered a not guilty plea.

The state’s opening presentation said Vittum used her personal accounts and those tied to NEC Construction 603, LLC, the business she owned with her husband, to deposit and withdraw bad checks during 2022. Prosecutor Kathleen O’Reilly told jurors that records from Citizens Bank, Mascoma Bank and Savings Bank of Walpole, along with copies of checks and signature cards, would show losses of about $73,500.

Defense attorney Stanley Norkunas pushed back, telling the jury the government has not shown enough evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. He said the prosecution cannot firmly connect the missing funds to his client and pointed to the lack of bank surveillance footage showing Vittum taking cash. He also challenged the way a Keene Police Department detective handled an interview with her, saying the encounter happened at her home without being recorded.

Norkunas said the jury should also hear about the family’s financial strain and the business problems the Vittums were facing, describing their circumstances as close to poverty.

The case comes after prosecutors in April dropped 11 bad-check charges against Vittum. Separately, she was convicted last year in Hillsborough County on two counts of felony theft by deception and one count of receiving stolen property in a home-improvement fraud case tied to the couple’s business. She received a prison sentence of five to 10 years in State Prison and has appealed.

Her husband, Christopher Vittum, still faces theft and receiving stolen property charges in a separate Hillsborough County case.