Holtsville man charged in alleged theft of nearly $450G from employer

A Holtsville man allegedly stole nearly $450,000 from his East Moriches employer over a span of more than five years, the Suffolk County Police Department said.

Anthony Ferguson, 37, pleaded not guilty Tuesday in First District Court in Central Islip to multiple charges for the alleged theft of the money from a Frowein Road business where he worked, according to the Suffolk police and court records.

After his arraignment, Ferguson was released on his own recognizance, court records show.

He was arrested and charged Monday for allegedly stealing the money and depositing more than 200 checks into his personal bank account, according to a Suffolk police news release. The department did not identify the business or provide additional information about the checks Tuesday.

The owner of the business believed Ferguson was embezzling from April 9, 2020, through last Nov. 28 and filed a police report on Dec. 3, the release said. Investigators determined the employee allegedly stole a total of $443,841.

Ferguson was charged Monday with second-degree grand larceny and first-degree falsifying business records, police said.

Suffolk County Legal Aid, which is representing Ferguson, according to court records, was not available for comment Tuesday.

He is scheduled to be back in court June 3.

Newsday's Janon Fisher contributed to this story.