Man arrested at border in $33 million embezzlement

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July 10, 2008

<a href="mailto:avanvalkenburg@pressrepublican.com">By ANDREA VanVALKENBURG</a> The Press Republican Thu Jul 10, 2008, 06:04 AM EDT

PLATTSBURGH — A Canadian man wanted in connection with a $33 million embezzlement scheme was arrested at an upstate border Wednesday.

When Robert Mark Reilly arrived to the Massena crossing, he told officials he was trying to get into the country for a quick shopping trip and planned to return to Canada through the Fort Covington crossing.

But his shopping plans quickly ended when Customs and Border Protection officials processed his name and found that the 35-year-old Quebec man was wanted on a recently filed federal warrant.

Authorities had been searching for Reilly for about a week after the nationwide no-bond warrant was issued for his arrest earlier this month.

Officials said he was wanted on federal mail-fraud charges resulting from the embezzlement of $33 million.

Once the warrant was confirmed, Reilly was arrested and turned over to the custody of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service pending extradition to Pennsylvania, where the federal charges are pending.

Officials said his arrest was the direct result of name queries being conducted during primary inspections at border crossings.