Prison Sentence for Chester Man Who Embezzled $2 Million

 Posted on February 06, 2025 in White Collar Crimes

A Chester man was sentenced to 24 months in prison and three years of supervised release for an embezzlement scheme that involved stealing money from his employer between January 2016 and December 2023. The man would arrive at work before other employees, disconnect the cables from the servers that captured views of the safe, open the safe, and take thousands of dollars in cash, then reconnect the ethernet cables. The cash was then deposited into the man’s personal bank accounts.

Over the course of seven years, the man and his former spouse made 287 cash deposits of stolen money, totaling nearly $2 million into his personal bank accounts. The man also failed to report the stolen income on his personal income taxes, resulting in tax evasion charges in addition to embezzlement charges. The man pled guilty to the charges and reported to prison on January 6, 2025. In addition to prison and probation, he was ordered to pay restitution of $2,062,580 and to pay $436,178 in taxes to the IRS.  

Embezzlement falls under the umbrella of white-collar crimes. While there are certainly financial victims of white-collar crimes, it is often considered a victimless crime in that nobody is physically harmed. White-collar crimes can be difficult to find quickly or easily and are often charged federally. If you have been charged with a white-collar crime, you need an experienced Stamford, CT criminal defense attorney who can begin building a comprehensive defense on your behalf.

What Are White-Collar Crimes?

Criminal offenses that are financially motivated (and generally non-violent) and are committed by individuals, businesses, or government officials fall under white-collar crimes. White-collar crimes are usually committed by middle or upper-class individuals as a means of financial gain. Today’s white-collar crimes often involve technology. Typical white-collar crimes include:

• Embezzlement
• Money laundering
• Identity theft
• Forgery
• Mortgage fraud
• Medical fraud
• Bribery
• Insider trading
• Racketeering
•  Cybercrimes
•  Copyright infringement
• Wage theft

When Are White-Collar Crimes Charged Federally?

White-collar crimes are often charged at the federal level, primarily when the offense involves a federal agency, involves the U.S. banking system, or crosses state lines. If the crime is limited to within one state or involves a state agency, the charges are likely to be state. For example, if money laundering occurs in an interstate corporation, then the charges will likely be federal.

If a person is laundering money through a local business that exists only in one state, the state will prosecute the offense. In some cases, a white-collar crime can be charged as both a state and a federal crime. Federal penalties are almost always more severe than state penalties.  

What Are Some Defenses to Embezzlement?

In the state of Connecticut, embezzlement of property worth more than $20,000 or public property worth more than $2,000 is a Class B felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $15,000.  While each defense is tailored specifically to the facts and circumstances surrounding the alleged crime, there are several defenses that are frequently used to defend charges of embezzlement. These include:

• Actual innocence, which involves demonstrating that the person charged did not commit the crime. When the issue hinges on information from a computer, there may have been other people who had access to the individual’s computer.
• Prove that the money was taken for legitimate, authorized business purposes rather than for personal gain.
• Insufficient evidence that the individual committed the embezzlement.
• There was no intent to commit embezzlement.
• The individual accused of embezzlement acted under duress.
• There was no valid reason for a search, or the search and seizure was done without a valid warrant.
• The individual’s civil rights were violated.

Contact a Fairfield County, CT Embezzlement Attorney

If you are facing charges of embezzlement or another white-collar criminal offense, it is extremely important that you speak to a knowledgeable Stamford, CT embezzlement lawyer from Law Offices of Daniel P. Weiner. With more than four decades of criminal law defense experience, you can be certain your defense is in the best hands. Call 203-348-5846 to schedule your free consultation.