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Dutchess County District Attorney, William V. Grady announced on Wednesday, Dec. 7 a 1,330-count indictment charging the ex-employee at the Fishkill Auto Body Shop in Fishkill, Suzanne Whitman, age 55, of Poughkeepsie.
“The success of any business, large or small, depends on the integrity of those who are given the responsibility for financial oversight," Grady said. "The evidence in this case will show that the defendant breached that trust and nearly ruined the Company by repeatedly writing checks from the company’s bank account and cashing them to fund her personal expenses, and disguised the thefts as legitimate payments to vendors.”
Whitman, who was arraigned Wednesday, was charged with:
- One count of second-degree grand larceny, a Class C felony,
- 627 counts of first-degree falsifying business records, a Class E felony,
- 702 counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, a Class D felony.
Because Whitman has a prior felony conviction, she face a prison sentence of 5 to 15 years if convicted, th DA's office said.
"The court was legally prohibited from setting bail on this case and the defendant was released under the supervision of the Dutchess County Probation Department," noted the DA's office.
This case was investigated by New York State Police Investigators from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation as well as the Special Investigations Financial Crimes Unit.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Liz Kurtz, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Frank Petramale and the overall supervision of Chief Assistant District Attorney Matthew Weishaupt.
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