Dutchess County Woman Sentenced in Massive Embezzlement Case

This past December, a Dutchess County woman was arrested and charged with a litany of crimes tied to a massive embezzlement scandal. The embezzlement nearly ended a Hudson Valley company, Fishkill Auto Body, permanently.

This brings us to today where this same Hudson Valley woman once again entered into a Dutchess County courtroom where her fate in this case was determined.

Sentence Delivered: Dutchess Woman Lands in Prison

On Wednesday, May 17,2023 Suzanne Whitman, 56 of Poughkeepsie was formerly sentenced by Dutchess County Court Judge Edward T. McLoughlin to spend the next 9 to 18 years in a state prison. Back on March 27th of this year, Whitman herself summited a 'guilty' plea of alleged theft from Fishkill Auto Body. Whitman also plead guilty to a reduced charge of attempted second-degree grand larceny.

For the charge of grand larceny, Whitman will serve 7 to 14 years. Following the conclusion of this sentence, she will then serve a sentence for the attempted grand larceny charge which adds on another 2 to 4 years.

Whitman's husband, Robert Essigman, was also charged with and plead guilty to his own charge of grand larceny. Currently, he is still awaiting sentencing. (You may follow the original story below).

Click Here for Original Story: DA: New York Woman 'Nearly Ruined' Hudson Valley Company

Response From the Dutchess County District Attorney's Office

The Dutchess County District Attorney's office had been heavily involved in this case from the beginning. In the investigation of the case, Dutchess County Chief Assistant District Attorney Matthew Weishaupt and the rest of the office discovered 1,330 different counts of first-degree falsifying business records and 702 counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, all of it tied to the over $700K theft.

Following the sentencing of Whitman, Weishaupt released a statement saying...

The success of any business depends on the integrity of those who are given financial oversight, and when they breach this duty and trust by thefts from the business for their own financial benefit, the impact on the business is devastating.