#Middlebury
Middlebury Police Chief Fran Dabbo said in an email that Barbara Petrosky, a secretary for Matthews Commercial Properties, a local real estate firm, has been charged with first-degree larceny and third-degree forgery in the embezzlement of more than half a million dollars from her long-time employer.
Matthews Commercial Properties owner Gerry Matthews issued the following statement:
“This is a devastating and disappointing situation that has shocked us to the core. Barbara Petrosky worked for us since 2002 and it is incredulous to discover that she was capable of this level of deceit. Once again, someone I trusted has shown such a lack of morals, ethics and integrity. I look forward to the wheels of justice administering it’s punishment. I will continue to serve my clients and the community in the positive manner that Matthews Commercial Properties has always been known to do.”
Dabbo said Middlebury Police were called to the real estate office June 20 on a fraud/larceny complaint. Officer Ron Pruchnicki spoke to Matthews, who stated his secretary, Barbara Petrosky, who worked for him for 17 years, had systematically embezzled money from the business account dating back to 2010.
An audit discovered that approximately $569,000 was taken from the company’s account. Petrosky, 69, from Waterbury, worked as a secretary/bookkeeper responsible for keeping track of all accounts receivable and accounts payable.
The investigation revealed that Petrosky concealed her actions by maintaining two sets of books. It was determined she wrote 334 fraudulent checks totaling $569,000.
On June 28, Petrosky turned herself in to the Middelbury Police Department and was arrested on a warrant charging her with one count of first-degree larceny and three counts of third-degree forgery. She was released on a $50,000 court-set surety bond. She is scheduled to appear in Waterbury Court Tuesday, July 9, at 9 a.m.
UPDATED 7/3/2019 to include real estate firm’s name and statement from the owner.
