Public Safety
U.S. District Court New Haven pic from federal government via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Dist_Conn.jpg

Woman Who Embezzled $1.1 Million from Darien Auto Dealership Sentenced to Prison

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Vanessa Vence-Small, 50, of New Windsor, New York, was sentenced Thursday, Nov. 28 by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for embezzling more than $1.1 million from a Darien auto dealership. — an announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Connecticut

According to court documents and statements made in court, Vence-Small was the controller of Felix F. Callari, Inc., doing business as Continental BMW of Darien, an automobile dealership. From October 2014 to June 2017, Vence-Small made 65 unauthorized electronic fund transfers, totaling $904,659.29, from the dealership’s bank account to her personal American Express account. She also issued and signed 28 checks drawn on the dealership’s bank account, in the total amount of $207,777.78, to pay various third parties, including credit card companies, contractors who performed work at her residence, and a different dealership from which she purchased a car.

Public Safety
Thumbnail man suspected of stealing cooler from Whole Foods

Police: Man Leaves Supermarket With $200 Cooler, But Without Paying

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On Tuesday, Oct. 9, a man with a shaved head, glasses, a blue shirt and khaki pants put a $200 Yeti brand cooler in a shopping cart and rolled it out of Whole Foods Supermarket without paying for it, police said. Darien police gave this additional information about the incident, including accusations not proven in court:

At about 5:40 p.m., the man left the store, located at 150 Ledge Road. Several days later, by Sunday, Oct. 14, a store inventory showed the cooler was missing, and employees reviewed the surveillance images.

Business
Seal of the Department of Justice 6-17-16

Former Stamford Twin Rinks Manager Sentenced After Stealing Almost $500K from the Business

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A 55-year-old Shelton man who worked as a manager at Stamford Twin Rinks, just over the border from Darien, was sentenced in federal court Tuesday to 21 months in prison after stealing almost half a million dollars from the business. He also was ordered to make full restitution to the business. Here’s an announcement issued Tuesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office about the sentencing: 

Mark J. Zito, 55, of Shelton, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 21 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for defrauding the owner of a Stamford ice skating facility that he managed. According to court documents and statements made in court, from October 1999 to August 2014, ZITO

According to court documents and statements made in court, from October 1999 to August 2014, Mark J. Zito, 55, was the general manager of Stamford Twin Rinks, an ice skating facility in Stamford. The facility is owned and operated by RivCan Associates, LLC (“RivCan”).  Zito was responsible for managing and overseeing the ice skating facility’s operations, and he had a written contract with RivCan in which he would be paid commissions for securing agreements from third party vendors to place advertising at the ice skating facility.

Business
Darien Police Truck July 3 2015

Construction Equipment Trailer Stolen on Old Kings Hwy North

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A construction company’s trailer, used for equipment, was stolen from a job site at 187 Old Kings Hwy. North, police were told Friday morning. The complainant, who contacted police at 8:22 a.m., Friday, Aug. 3, said his company’s trailer had been seen last at the site on Friday, July 27. Police asked neighbors if they knew of anything suspicious, but none had.

Public Safety
Darien Police Headquarters and Sign

Report: Shoplifter Takes $100 Item from Downtown Store

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Darien police said that a person went into a fitting room at the Tina Dragone store in downtown Darien, then walked out and seemed to be returning an item of clothing to a store rack, but store employees later discovered that the customer left. Police didn’t say how the employees knew that or what the item of clothing was, only that it’s priced at $100. A manager of the store at 1049 Post Road contacted police at 1:47 p.m. on Thursday, July 12 to report the incident. Police were told that because there were a lot of customers in the store, the employees couldn’t continue to monitor the subject — police did not say if the subject was a man or a woman. The police announcement said: “No further details are being released on this incident as it is an active criminal investigation conducted by the Darien Police Detective Division.”

Public Safety
Police

Inventory at Downtown Store Leads to Look at Security Video Showing Theft of $270 Worth of Jewelry

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When Kirby and Company managers found a significant loss of goods for sale as they were conducting a semi-annual store inventory, they looked at video surveillance records. That’s when they saw on video a suspect concealing jewelry in a bag, then leaving the store at 1029 Post Road without paying. The theft occurred in the third week of June 2018, and it amounted to $270 in stolen merchandise. Someone fro the store contacted police on Wednesday, July 11. Police are continuing to investigate the incident and said they would release no further information about it.

Public Safety
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Guilty Plea for BMW of Darien Controller Accused of Stealing $1.1 Million

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The former controller of Felix F. Callari Inc., doing business as Continental BMW of Darien, stole more than $1.1 million from the company, according to law enforcement officials. She pleaded guilty in Federal Court Thursday to one count of wire fraud arising from an embezzlement scheme. From October 2014 to June 2017, Vanessa Vence-Small, 50, of New Windsor, N.Y. made 65 unauthorized electronic fund transfers, totaling $904,659.29, from the dealership’s bank account to her personal American Express account, according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Connecticut. The announcement is based on court documents and statements made in court. She also issued and signed 28 checks drawn on the dealership’s bank account, in the total amount of $207,777.78, to pay various third parties, including credit card companies, contractors who performed work at her residence, and a different dealership from which she purchased a car, the announcement said.