A Bronx man was arrested on five felony counts involving the theft of $140,685 from his uncle’s garden supply store in Croton, NY.
Anthony Congello, Jr., 26, was helping his uncle keep an eye on the finances of the store, and in return, his uncle allowed him to keep his equipment from his own landscaping business, Anthony’s Landscape and Constriction, at the store.
From late August 2012 through early January of this year, Congello stole from his uncle’s store, Croton Country Gardens. He initiated an automated bank draft from the store’s account to pay a load. He cashed checks from the store’s accounts with his uncle’s forged signature on them. He made counter cash withdrawals using withdrawal slips with his uncle’s forged signature on them and he made unauthorized ATM withdrawals using the store’s credit card at Atlantic City casinos.
Congello is accused of charging large sums onto the store’s credit card to benefit his own business.
He is also charged with failing to file state personal income taxes for 2012.
The charges against Congello are grand larceny, two counts of identity theft, two counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, and one count of criminal tax fraud. If convicted of all crimes, he could face up to 15 years in state prison.
