Nassau DA: East Rockaway man stole 'hundreds of thousands' from employer

An East Rockaway man faces charges for embezzling "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in sales revenue from the condiments company where he worked, authorities said.

Barry Rosner, 64, as chief financial officer and controller for Old Dutch Mustard/USA Vinegar when it was located in Great Neck, stole the money using wire transfers of between $2,000 and $4,000, moving funds to his personal bank account, according to the Nassau County District Attorney's Office. Rosner committed the thefts, prosecutors said, following the death of the company's co-founder in February 2015.

He used the proceeds to pay for personal luxuries like golf and a beach cabana, according to prosecutors.

The thefts escalated to more than $10,000 a month by 2018, officials said, but were uncovered in 2019 by outside accountants hired by the company, which is now located in New Hampshire. The company terminated Rosner — and reported the allegations to the district attorney's office.

Old Dutch Mustard/USA Vinegar produces a wide range of mustards and vinegars. The company's website touts itself as "a family business; the kind of company where each person takes genuine pride in the products that enhance your reputation and ours."

Court records show Rosner was arraigned Tuesday before Judge Lisa Petrocelli on one count of second-degree grand larceny and eight counts of first-degree falsifying of business records. He was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court on July 12. Rosner faces 5-to-15 years in prison if convicted on the top count.

In a statement Thursday, Rosner’s attorney, Steven Harfenist, said: "We believe the District Attorney’s office has this case all wrong. All of the funds claimed to be taken by Mr. Rosner were legitimate reimbursements for business expenses. We expect Barry to be vindicated in court."

Officials said that in addition to golf and the cabana, Rosner used the stolen funds for clothing, dining and credit card bills.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”