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Office of the District Attorney P. David Soares Man Accused of Stealing from Church Pleads Guilty ALBANY , NY – District Attorney P. David Soares today announced that Paul Motto, 48, of Ravena, NY, plead guilty to one count of Petit Larceny, a Class “A” Misdemeanor. MOTTO faces three years of probation and will make full restitution to his victim. Between December 1, 2004 and April 22, 2006, MOTTO stole approximately $10,000 from Saint Catherine of Siena church. “With the recent surge in cases reported to, and prosecuted by our Financial Crimes Unit, I would like to take this opportunity to remind all businesses to take a second look at their financial procedures and those in the trusted positions that oversee those procedures. Both for-profit and charitable organizations have a responsibility to their respective shareholders, clients or congregation to ensure that due diligence is done to protect their interests. By due diligence, I mean ensuring there is a third party audit of all financial records and accounts. It is my belief that in ninety-nine percent of the financial crime cases we see, a third party audit would have reduced the economic impact of the crime,” commented DA Soares. “Stealing money and resources from reputable businesses and charities is not a victimless crime and this office will continue to actively prosecute those who engage in these activities.” ADA Daniel Lynch and the Financial Crimes Unit handled the prosecution of this case. Sentencing for MOTTO is scheduled for June 21, 2007. # # # For further information contact: Heather Streeter Orth
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