Bethel Shipping Clerk Pleads Guilty to $400,000 Theft From Employer

Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced on Friday that 65-year-old Milton Light, of 7 Mountain Orchard Road in Bethel, pled guilty to the entire 13 count indictment against him, charging him with:

• one count of grand larceny in the second degree, a class “C” felony,
• six counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree, class “D” felonies,
• and six counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, class “E” felonies, relating to the theft of $402,784 from his employer in a bogus shipping scheme.

Light worked for Armonk-based Inter-wire Products, Inc., a wholesaler of industrial wire, and was in charge of coordinating shipments of products from its divisions to its customers. 

A joint investigation involving the District Attorney’s Office and North Castle Police began in June of 2008. 

During the course of the investigation it was discovered that Light set up a fictitious company called Coastal Freight Forwarders in the State of Florida. 

Between December 1, 2005, and June 17, 2008, the defendant directed product shipping payments from Inter-wire Products to Coastal Freight Forwarders by duplicating and altering other shipping paperwork such as a bill of lading and submitting both orders for payment.

This resulted in Inter-wire Products, Inc., paying for shipping twice: once for the legitimate customer, the other to the fictitious company.

The checks were sent to Coastal Freight Forwarders in Florida, where the defendant maintained a bank account.

Sentencing will occur on January 24, 2012. Light faces a sentence of 5 to 15 years in state prison on the top charge.

Assistant District Attorney Robert Mayes of Economic Crimes Bureau is prosecuting the case.