BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Thursday that a Gravesend bookkeeper and two accomplices have been charged with stealing more than $1.1 million over the course of five years through a fraudulent payroll and check-cashing operation.
The 44-year-old Maya Roytlender, who managed the office for D. Malek Realty, LLC, is charged with planning the plot. She sent false payroll checks to co-defendants Michael James, 33, and Ihor Dubno, 61, and deposited the funds into associate-controlled and personal accounts, according to the indictment.
Dubno and James are both charged with second-degree grand larceny, while Roytlender is facing one count of first-degree grand larceny. Justice Phyllis Chu of the Brooklyn Supreme Court arraigned the three, who were then released without posting bond. On August 13, they are expected to appear in court again.
Prosecutors claim that even though James never worked for the company, Roytlender put him on its payroll between 2015 and 2020. Dubno, who did work for the company, allegedly received compensation that were higher than what he actually made.
Prosecutors claim the money was used to settle personal debts.
According to reports, the pilfered money was used to settle James’s unpaid personal bills as well as credit card and lender arrears, including payments to Roytlender’s Capital One and Chase accounts. According to authorities, the money originated from the business accounts of D. Malek Realty.
According to District Attorney Gonzalez, this defendant and two accomplices allegedly planned and executed a lengthy operation to use deceit and deception to steal more than a million dollars.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, Intelligence Analyst Veranika Basak, Chief Financial Investigator Ludwig Sanchez, and Supervising Financial Investigator Vincent Jones assisted with the investigation.
