Orange County News
 For Immediate Release                                                           Contact: Christopher Borek
 March 24, 2021                                                                     845.291.3276, 845.238.4245c 

District Attorney Hoovler Announces Prison Sentence in Embezzlement Case

Woman Sentenced to 2 – 6 years in State Prison  in Connection with Embezzlement from Middletown Engineering Firm

Defendant Ordered to Pay $152,363.92 in Restitution 

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Wednesday, March 24, 2021, Veronica Crance, 49, of Pond Eddy, was sentenced by Orange County Court Judge Craig Stephen Brown to two to six years in state prison in connection with an embezzlement from a Middletown engineering firm.  On March 5, 2019, Crance had pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Third Degree. 

At the time that she pleaded guilty, Crance admitted that she had worked as the payroll manager for Fellenzer Engineering, in the City of Middletown, and that between July 31, 2013 and July 31, 2018 she had manipulated payroll records to obtain payments to which she was not entitled. An audit of the company discovered over $152,000 in missing funds over which the defendant had control.

In addition to being sentenced to state prison, a judgement was entered directing Crance to pay restitution to her former employer in the amount of $152,363.92. 

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the City of Middletown Police Department for their work on the case and their arrest of Crance.

The case was prosecuted by Executive Assistant District Attorney Leah Canton.  

“Embezzlement always involves an abuse of trust, and the magnitude and duration of  these thefts is certainly deserving of a state prison sentence,” said District Attorney Hoovler. “Operating a business is difficult enough in the best of circumstances. This defendant’s actions not only hurt her employer but could have affected the livelihood of her co-workers.  I applaud those who run this company for their diligence in determining who was responsible for the loss of these funds, and the City of Middletown Police Department for all their work on this case.”