NEW YORK — The former treasurer of the Mohopac Volunteeer Fire Department
has been charged with embezzling over $5.7 million from the organization
over a more than 13-year period while he held that office.
Michael Klein, 48, of Mahopac and Palm City, Florida, is charged with
wire fraud, which caries up to 20 years in prison, and six counts of subscribing
to false tax returns, each of which carries a maximum sentence of three
years in prison.
From roughly January 2002 to about September 2015, Klein is alleged to
have embezzled fire department funds by writing checks to the two businsses
he owned – Abbie Graphic Services and Buckshollow Emergency Equipment.
He also failed to report personal tax returns.
“Public corruption victimizes the public generally, but here, the
people of Mahopac and its volunteer firefighters suffered specifically
and directly, having lost almost $6 million that could have bee used for
good, but instead was allegedly squandered away by Klein,” said U
Attorney Preet Bharara.
