Wanna get away?

Danvers woman Michelle Bowman had apparently done just that — jetting off to vacation destinations as the Salem court clerk allegedly embezzled more than $70,000 in bail funds.

The 51-year-old former assistant clerk magistrate has been indicted on charges related to misusing more than $71,000 in bail funds and forging a recognizance form to conceal her wrongdoing, according to the Massachusetts AG’s office.

Bowman’s base pay was $134,389 in 2023, according to the state payroll database.

Lawrence District Court staff last May was trying to process a bail forfeiture, and they realized that the $25,000 in bail funds had never been received by the court.

When the missing bail came to light, Bowman allegedly submitted a forged recognizance form to the court for the missing bail — altering dates to make it appear as though the bail was received more recently than it had been.

Then the Trial Court’s audit revealed that eight bails, which Bowman had allegedly taken, were missing and had never been turned over to the relevant courts. These eight bails totaled $71,000.

The audit also revealed that Bowman allegedly held some bail funds for far longer than bail magistrate rules permitted. In one instance, she kept a $75,000 bail for more than six months before paying it to the relevant court.

After reviewing Bowman’s financial records, investigators discovered several withdrawals taken from her bail bank account, which appeared to be for personal use — including $14,449 in payments to American Express, $14,021 in payments to her landlord, and $8,508 in cash withdrawals.

During this time, Bowman took trips to Las Vegas, Barbados, and Aruba, and spent money on jewelry, designer perfume, high-end clothing, and event tickets, according to prosecutors.

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Bowman has been charged with fiduciary embezzlement and unwarranted privilege for her misuse of bail funds, and forgery and uttering for creating and submitting a false recognizance form.

She was arraigned on Tuesday in Essex Superior Court, and ordered to turn over her passport.