Police: Caregiver Who Stole Client's Checks to Be Indicted

An in-home caregiver who allegedly forged at least five checks belonging to the North Hampton woman for whom she was caring will likely soon be indicted by the county on a variety of felonies, according to North Hampton Police Detective Pete Cormier.

Cormier said the case against Valerie Trunfio, 36, of Hampton, is progressing, as new paperwork was filed Thursday at Hampton District Court and at the Rockingham County Attorney's Office.

Trunfio was arraigned on Sept. 24 on one count of forgery, a Class B felony, in Hampton District Court, and was arraigned on Oct. 10 on another count of forgery and one count of receiving stolen property, according to court staff.

Cormier said additional forgery counts are possible before or after the yet-to-be-issued indictment because the case — which involves a private residence on Post Road in North Hampton — is the result of a "long" joint investigation with the Hampton Police Department, and he said Hampton may bring forth additional charges .

Cormier said it's also possible the Exeter Police Department will pursue additional charges against Trunfio, as the stolen piece of property is a $600 portable oxygen monitor taken from Exeter Hospital. The monitor was found at Trunfio's client's home during the forgery investigation, and when Cormier ran the serial number with Exeter police, he said he found it was on a list of items missing from the hospital.

No probable cause hearing has yet been scheduled for Trunfio, who was released on $5,000 personal recognizance bail following her arrest earlier this year. The case also hasn't yet been bound over to Rockingham Superior Court, although Cormier said that will likely happen soon.

Additional details about the forged checks are still limited, and the total dollar value of the forged checks wasn't immediately available.