FORMER CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR A ONE TIME BRONX BASED MANUFACTURING COMPANY SENTENCED TO PRISON AND ORDERED TO MAKE FULL RESTITUTION OF EMBEZZLED FUNDS

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that convicted embezzler Robert Washko has been sentenced to a term of one to three years imprisonment provided that he makes full restitution of the nearly $400,000 that he stole from the Wonder Bra Company.

Washko, of Freeport, New York, was found guilty on September 30, 2005 on one count of Grand Larceny in the 2nd degree and one count of Criminal possession of stolen property in the 2nd degree. Washko was convicted of embezzling a total of $397,584 between January 1998 and May 1999 while serving as the Chief Financial Officer of the Wonder Bra Company which at the time was located at 385 Gerard Avenue, the Bronx.

State Supreme Court Justice Ethan Greenberg said that Washko’s one to three year sentence was contingent on re-paying all of the money within three years. If full restitution is not made within that time frame Washko is to remain imprisoned until all of the money is repaid or until he has served 15 years, the maximum term for a Class C felony offense. The judge also imposed a concurrent sentence of one to three years imprisonment on the charge of Criminal possession of stolen property, and fines totaling $10,000.

The theft, through the company’s payroll system, was not detected until after Washko had left the company. Accounting discrepancies were uncovered when Washko’s replacement as Chief Financial Officer ordered an audit. It was discovered that Washko had misappropriated payroll funds over a period of fifteen months by making double payroll direct deposit payments to himself in amounts that varied from $5,000 to $30,000. Also uncovered were two unauthorized wire transfers, each totaling more than $80,000.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Earamichia Brown of the Arson/Auto/Economic Crime Bureau.