FORMER RESIDENCE MANAGER OF A GROUP HOME FOR MENTALLY CHALLENGED ADULTS IS CONVICTED OF GRAND LARCENY AND RELATED CHARGES

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that 45 year-old Yvette Belmar, a former Residence Manager of the Sedgwick Group Home, managed by Episcopal Social Services has been convicted of grand larceny and related charges, for embezzling more than $50,000 from her employer.

A jury found Belmar, of 2175 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, guilty of one count each of Grand larceny in the 3rd degree, and Falsifying Business Records in the 1st degree. State Supreme Court Justice Harold Silverman set sentencing for Friday, September 16, 2005 in Part T18. Belmar is facing a term of up to seven years imprisonment.

Belmar, whose salary was approximately $37,080, embezzled small sums of money from the petty cash account beginning in January 1999, continuing undetected until October 2001. Belmar was terminated following an internal audit. The audit concluded that Belmar misappropriated funds earmarked for the clients at the Sedgwick Group Home by making withdrawals from the ATM. Belmar submitted false information on petty cash receipts and reimbursement forms to justify the ATM withdrawals.

Mr. Johnson thanked the following members of Episcopal Social Services for their help with this case; Steven Chinlund, Executive Director, Claude Meyers, Associate Executive Director, Steve Viafore, Chief Fiscal Officer, Robert Nugent, Director of the OMRDD program and Donald Johnson and Patrick Murphy of the NYS Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. Mr. Johnson also acknowledged the hard work of Bronx District Attorney’s Senior Detective Investigators Wilfred Melendez and Peter Moro.

Assistant District Attorney Bert M. Oberlander of the Arson / Auto / Economic Crimes Bureau is prosecuting this case.