A former employee was sentenced to two to six years in prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to embezzling more than $300,000 from a New York dealership.
James Castellano worked for New Rochelle Hyundai in 2017 when he diverted more than $307,000 in checks to his personal bank account, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance said.
Castellano was charged with felony grand larceny, as well as criminal tax fraud for not reporting the embezzled funds on his personal income tax return. He pleaded guilty to the charges in May 2021.
Castellano was ordered to pay $307,610 in restitution to the dealership, the department said. He will also pay $20,455 to the state of New York.
“This case should serve as a warning to anyone considering similar criminal acts: you will be caught and face serious consequences,” New York State Acting Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Amanda Hiller said in statement.
New Rochelle Hyundai did not respond to a request for comment from Automotive News.