I-Team Update: Accountant accused of stealing $1.1 million found dead

Posted at: 06/27/2012 1:38 PM | Updated at: 07/02/2012 8:57 AM
By: Berkeley Brean | WHEC.com

An accountant accused of stealing more than a million dollars from his company was found dead in his Irondequoit home on Saturday.

Gary Yakawiak was suppose to be in court earlier this month to be arraigned on a grand larceny charge, but when he didn’t show up, the judge issued a warrant for his arrest.

When police showed up to search his house Saturday, they found him dead inside. Police are not sure the cause of death at this time.

***New information***

This afternoon we spoke to the prosecutor in the case.

Assistant District Attorney Mark Monaghan said. "I don't know the nature or the circumstances of how he passed, but I'm sure there are people who loved him and cared about him and it's unfortunate for them that they're going to have to go through this period of loss."

Monaghan said either the court, the DA's office or Yakawiak's attorney will make a motion to dismiss the indictment.

Yakawiak was accused of bilking $1.1 million dollars from Cascades Recovery, a recycling company. He was the company’s accounting manager. Police and the courts say that between August 2007 and February 2011, he took chunks of cash from the company and tried to cover it up by changing the bank statements.  

Monaghan says there is now no recourse for Cascades in state court. He said because there will be no conviction, there can be no legal claim for restitution. If Cascades wants to get the money back that Yakawiak was accused of stealing, it will have to do that through civil court.  

 

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