Crime and courts briefs

FREEPORT

Head of payroll company accused of stealing

The principal of a Freeport-based payroll company was arrested Wednesday in the theft of nearly $430,000 from a client's bank account over a three-year period, the Nassau district attorney said.

George Pozo, 42, was president of KGP Payroll Services, which he ran from his home, and was authorized to take money from a Baldwin-based client's account to pay federal and state payroll taxes, prosecutors said.

From January 2009 to early November 2011, he withdrew $686,859.97 electronically from his client's account but forwarded $256,864 to pay taxes, sending the rest to his company's operating account, authorities said.

After the case was referred to the DA's office in June 2013, investigators found almost $87,000 in checks were drawn from the KGP account and made payable to Pozo and his wife before the company's operating account closed in January 2013 with a zero balance, prosecutors said.

Pozo, of 114 Park Ave., Freeport, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on a charge of second-degree grand larceny. He was released with certain conditions. If convicted, he would face 5 to 15 years in prison, authorities said.

His attorney, Michael DerGarabedian of Rockville Centre, said he has not seen any evidence and is "skeptical" of the prosecution's case.

"If he's this evil, you don't let him continue working for a year and a half," the attorney said.

DerGarabedian said KGP Payroll Services was based on Woodcleft Avenue near Pozo's home before superstorm Sandy flooded the office in 2012 and destroyed most of the paperwork. Pozo then ran the company out of his home, the attorney said, but eventually shut it down.

Authorities said details on what happened to the rest of the money were not immediately available but noted that Pozo did not use the funds for the client's needs.

VALLEY STREAMPolice searching for

well-dressed bank robber

Police are searching for a dapper bandit who wore a white fedora and a black cloth mask while robbing a Valley Stream bank at gunpoint on Tuesday, stealing an undetermined amount of cash.

The robbery took place at the Dime Savings Bank on Merrick Road at 10:18 a.m., Nassau County police said.

There were five employees and one customer in the bank at the time. Police said there were no reported injuries.

The robbery is being investigated by the Major Case Bureau. Police said the robber also wore a white dress shirt, a button-down sweater and black dress pants.