Sentence Handed Down In $1.1M Darien Embezzlement Case: Feds

Patch
The former controller of a local luxury auto dealership was accused in the scam.

DARIEN, CT — The former controller of Continental BMW of Darien has been sentenced to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for embezzling more than $1.1 million from the luxury auto dealership, announced United States Attorney John Durham.

Vanessa Vence-Small, 50, of New Windsor, NY, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven. She had pleaded guilty in February of this year to one count of wire fraud.

Over a nearly three-year period from October 2014 to June 2017, in her capacity as controller of Felix F. Callari, Inc. (known as Continental BMW of Darien), Vence-Small "made 65 unauthorized electronic fund transfers, totaling $904,659.29, from the dealership’s bank account to her personal American Express account," according to prosecutors and court documents.

She also issued and signed 28 fraudulent checks - drawn on the dealership’s bank account - in the total amount of $207,777.78, and used that money "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." Vence-Small also incurred on company accounts an additional $31,452.08 in unauthorized credit card charges and reimbursements.

According to the sentencing memorandum obtained by Patch, Vence-Small used the money to fund her lavish lifestyle and luxury spending habits.

"The defendant spent much of the stolen funds on extravagant, discretionary purchases," wrote the prosecution in the document. "For example, the defendant and her current husband indulged in first-class air travel and frequent vacations to destinations such as Australia, Maui, Mexico, and Jamaica. The defendant used Callari’s funds to pay various contractors to remodel and landscape her residence in New York. In addition, she was a brisk and active consumer of non-essential expenditures such as cosmetic surgery, fashionable clothing, and cosmetics."

Even though the dealership provided her with a luxury vehicle to drive, Vence-Small also bought a $50,000 Ford Mustang. And she also paid off various personal expenses from adult children, according to the government.

In a victim impact statement from Paula Callari, who operates the dealership with her mother and sister, she described how Vence-Small manipulated the Callaris and other employees, ingratiating herself to the staff and ownership and convincing them to trust her.

All the while, she was embezzling tens of thousands of dollars. When questioned by authorities, Vence-Small said that she took the money, in part, because the Darien dealership was paying her about $100,000 less per year ($150,000) than her previous job ($250,000), and she "was trying" to pay her bills.

"I do hope that the punishment the court hands down to her will not be given lightly," stated Paula Callari. "Because the only thing Vanessa is sorry for, is that she stayed with our company too long and got caught! People like Vanessa do not change their stripes."

In addition to the prison sentence and probation, Vence-Small also has been ordered to pay full restitution, and to day has made payments totaling approximately $200,000.

She is currently free on $100,000 bond and must report to prison on Feb. 4, 2019.

In a statement to Patch, Durham "praised the collaborative investigative efforts of the Secret Service, Darien Police and Connecticut Financial Crime Task Force."

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.

Image via Shutterstock

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