Darien Accountant Accused of Embezzling $800K Pleads Guilty to Fraud, Tax Evasion

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Cynthia Tanner Mug Shot

Cynthia Tanner of Stanton Road, Darien (2014 Darien P.D. arrest photo)

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Cynthia Tanner, 54, of Darien pleaded guilty in Federal Court on Tuesday to reduced charges connected to the theft of nearly $800,000 from the National Veterans Service Fund.

Cynthia Tanner

Cynthia Tanner of Stanton Road, Darien (2014 Darien Police arrest photo)

“From approximately January 2009 through June 2014, Tanner used nearly $800,000 in NVSF funds to pay various personal expenses for her and her family members,” according to an announcement from the United State’s Attorney’s Office for Connecticut.

Tanner, who pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of tax evasion in U.S. District Court in Hartford, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for wire fraud, and five years for tax evasion. She is scheduled to be sentenced March 11 by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton.

According to the prosecutors’ office, Tanner, a Stanton Road resident, “failed to report $794,768.47 in embezzled income on her 2009 through 2013 federal tax returns, resulting in a tax loss of $270,026.”

Darien police had previously said a bit more was taken — about $830,000.

In May 2014 Darien police were told that an accounting firm had discovered irregularities in the financial statements of the organization.

“It was quickly determined that […] Cynthia Tanner had been utilizing the organization’s funds for personal use,” said a Darien Police announcement later that year. NVSF, a non-profit organization based in Darien, accepts donations to help veterans and their families across the country.

“Tanner’s responsibilities included payroll and the disbursement of funds to the charity’s clients,” the police announcement said. “Through investigation it was determined that not only was Tanner writing unauthorized checks to herself, but that she was writing numerous checks to relatives also drawing off of the NVSF accounts.”

Tanner  “altered records to conceal her scheme and by falsely claiming that the stolen monies were being paid to veterans in need,” according to the prosecutors’ announcement.

Tanner has been released on a $50,000 bond on the federal charges. Although she was initially arrested on state charges of first-degree larceny, there is now no record of state charges against her or convictions on the Connecticut Judicial Branch website.

One thought on “Darien Accountant Accused of Embezzling $800K Pleads Guilty to Fraud, Tax Evasion

  1. Pingback: Accountant Sentenced After Embezzling $800,000 from Darien Veterans Charity | Darienite

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