Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department

Preet Bharara, america Attorney the Southern District of the latest York, Shantelle P. Kitchen, the Special Agent responsible for the brand new York Field Office associated with Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Diego Rodriguez, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of this New York Field Division associated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), George Beach, Superintendent, New York State Police, and Thomas P. DiNapoli, ny State Comptroller, today announced the arrest of MICHAEL KLEIN, the previous treasurer for the Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department (“MVFD”), on charges of wire fraud and subscribing to false taxation statements.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated: “Michael Klein repaid the trust their fellow volunteer firefighters put in him by presumably taking $5.7 million of their cash during a period of over 13 many years because their elected treasurer. As alleged, Klein lavished the embezzled money on himself, buying yachts, precious jewelry, another residence in Florida, and then didn't report any one of it on his tax returns. Public corruption victimizes the public generally speaking, but here, the individuals of Mahopac and its volunteer firefighters have actually experienced particularly and right, having lost virtually $6 million might have been utilized for good, but alternatively had been allegedly squandered away by Klein. ”

IRS Special Agent in Charge Shantelle P. Kitchen said: “Criminal tax investigations are often intertwined with investigations of alleged thefts by individuals entrusted with the stewardship of an organization’s assets. People who get access to an organization’s bank records, publications and documents, and financial resources should you should think about the effects if they are inclined to embezzle. Along With fees concerning the underlying financial theft, embezzlers reveal by themselves to federal criminal tax costs if they willfully don't declare the profits of this thefts on the tax returns.”

FBI Assistant Director in control Diego Rodriguez stated: “The subject for this examination spent more than ten years residing life in large style, while their other firefighters had been hectic volunteering their time for you to conserve people’s domiciles and resides. He allegedly embezzled huge amount of money in money that could went to aid the firefighters in his department do their particular tasks. The FBI and our police force partners won’t enable this sort of greed to overshadow the great service the both women and men about this volunteer fire division do everyday they show up for work.”

New York State Police Superintendent George Beach said: “I commend the task performed about this instance by our detectives from Troop K, their state Comptroller’s workplace, and our national partners. Our investigation revealed that this person took huge amount of money meant to support the community’s fire division, and instead used it for his very own personal gain. We're Going To have no tolerance for people who abuse their place.”

Nyc State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said: “Mr. Klein allegedly took nearly six million dollars from Mahopac Volunteer Fire division. As opposed to safeguarding their neighbors as he pledged, they paid the price for their so-called thievery. We thank United States Lawyer Preet Bharara, the Federal Bureau of Research, the New York State Police, and Internal Revenue Service for his or her work with my office to bring Mr. Klein to justice.”

As alleged inside Indictment unsealed today in White Plains national court[1]:

Michael Klein was first chosen treasurer for the MVFD in 2001. From in or around January 2002 to in or just around September 2015, Klein embezzled MVFD funds under their control by writing inspections to the two businesses he had, Abbie Graphic providers, Ltd. (“Abbie Graphic”) and Buckshollow crisis Equipment Corp. (“BEEC”). Klein after that deposited the inspections to lender records held by Abbie Graphics or BEEC. He joined these inspections to the MVFD’s publications as having already been made payable to different suppliers, other than Abbie Graphics or BEEC, that sold firefighting gear or solutions used by fire departments.

Klein embezzled above $5.7 million by writing a lot more than 275 inspections during a period of significantly more than 13 years. He utilized the income to buy, among other things, yachts, including a 55-foot Neptunus engine boat called “K’Bam;” an additional residence in Palm City, Florida; and jewellery. He in addition used the cash to guide Abbie Graphic and BEEC. Klein in addition didn't report any of this earnings on their individual taxation statements the duration from 2009 through 2014, thus subscribing to untrue tax returns for each of those many years.