PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Pittsfield man who embezzled approximately $220,00 from his employer has been sentenced to jail. 

 

Judge Douglas Wilkins sentenced Leonard Curtis, 27, to serve 2 1/2 at the Berkshire County House of Correction and two years of probation afterward, during which the defendant must pay restitution.

 

Curtis pled guilty on Aug. 1 to a single count of embezzlement from a bank, three counts of forgery of a check, three counts of uttering a false check, and a single count of larceny over $1,200 by a single scene.

 

The Berkshire District Attorney's Office requested a sentence of two to three years in state prison, two years' probation afterward, and restitution. Defense counsel asked for a sentence of probation and an order for the defendant to pay the money back at a rate of approximately $30,000 per year. The state sentencing guidelines recommend one to three years of incarceration.

 

"This conviction and sentence reinforce a message that white-collar crimes are serious and those who commit them will be held accountable and punished. Financial institutions trust their employees with their customers' financial well-being, and those who use that position for personal gain undermine the public's confidence, demoralize other employees, and strain our entire community," District Attorney Andrea Harrington said.

 

"I thank the Pittsfield Police Department for their detailed investigation into this ongoing scheme, and I am proud of the trial team for their aggressive prosecution of this crime."

 

Between Feb. 27, 2018, and Oct. 26, 2018, Curtis wrote 103 cashier checks totaling approximately $220,000 from an unauthorized account for various personal uses.