POUGHKEEPSIE – The Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday announced a 1,330-count indictment against 55-year-old Suzanne Whitman of Poughkeepsie. Whitman is accused of stealing nearly $715,000 from her employer, Fishkill Auto Body, while she was employed as the company’s bookkeeper.
The District Attorney’s Office said that Suzanne Whitman was arraigned before County Court Judge Edward McLoughlin on an indictment charging her with one count of felony grand larceny, 627 felony counts of falsifying business records, and 702 felony counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument.
County Chief Assistant District Attorney Matt Weishaupt noted that the charges in the indictment are merely accusations. Weishaupt said “Financial crimes exact a great toll on our business community. That toll is further exaggerated when the accused is in a position of trust and converts the monies for personal use as it takes longer to detect these crimes.” The veteran prosecutor, rumored to be preparing a campaign to be the next Dutchess County DA, also said, “We will take every measure to hold Ms. Whitman accountable for her actions which have had a substantial impact on Fishkill Auto Body.”
If convicted of these crimes, Whitman, a convicted felon will face a prison sentence of five-15 years. The court was legally prohibited from setting bail on this case and Whitman was released under the supervision of the Dutchess County Probation Department.
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.
