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The charge arises from an alleged fraudulent scheme in which 56-year-old Mark Cina of Pleasant Valley embezzled the money from two companies in the Town of Poughkeepsie over the course of at least approximately seven years, Kim said in a statement.
“As alleged, Mark Cina, who was entrusted with the finances of two local manufacturers in Poughkeepsie, abused that trust to spend the companies’ money on himself," Kim said. "For years, Cina allegedly used company money to gamble, pay his rent, dine out, and fund a host of other personal expenses."
Two manufacturing companies with plants located in the Town of Poughkeepsie designed and manufactured solar energy products such as solar-powered roof shingles and a solar-powered ring of lights encircling the top of MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The companies were founded by an unidentified entrepreneur.
In or about 2008, the entrepreneur hired Cina as a part-time bookkeeper responsible for the day-to-day financial operations who had the authority to sign checks and carry and use credit cards and ATM cards. Cina remained so employed until in or about August 2015, when he was terminated.
In or about September 2015, the entrepreneur who hired Cina appeared at a state police barracks in Dutchess County and reported Cina had stolen funds from the companies.
State police then started an investigation, which federal law enforcement officers later joined. Kim said that the investigation yielded myriad evidence showing that Cina had defrauded the company of millions of dollars over the course of at least approximately seven years. Cina did so by, among other things, using the companies’ funds for himself to gamble, pay his rent, drive rental cars, dine out, get his car washed, bail out an arrestee, and, in one instance, pay a phone charge for an inmate’s call.
According to, among other things, business and financial records obtained during the criminal investigation, and a forensic report prepared by an accounting firm, Cina made the following disbursements of the companies’ funds, from in or about 2009 through in or about 2015, which were not authorized, and which had no apparent or recorded business purpose, Kim said:
- Payments to a mini-mart (approximately $457,000)
- Payments to a gas station (approximately $180,000)
- Payment of CINA’s rent (approximately $25,000)
- Payment of CINA’s personal credit card bills (approximately $125,000)
- Checks payable to CINA (non-payroll) (approximately $599,000)
- Checks payable to cash (approximately $282,000)
- Cash withdrawals (approximately $825,000)
Cina is being charged with one count of mail fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Kim praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the New York State Police, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and the office’s criminal investigators. He also thanked the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance.
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