Jury convicts Saranac Lake embezzler

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March 19, 2010

By DENISE RAYMO The Press Republican Fri Mar 19, 2010, 03:31 PM EDT

SARANAC LAKE — A Saranac Lake woman was found guilty Friday of embezzling more than $96,000 from Adirondack Audiology Associates over four years.

Rebecca Farnsworth, 37, of 92 Wallace Wood Lane was convicted of second-degree grand larceny by a Franklin County jury after about three hours of deliberations, said District Attorney Derek Champagne.

She was sent to County Jail and is being held without bail until sentencing on April 26.

Jurors found her not guilty of first-degree falsifying business records.

Farnsworth was arrested in January and charged with second-degree grand larceny and first-degree falsifying business records for using a company credit card to make more than $80,000 in personal purchases between 2004 and 2008.

She was also accused of giving herself raises totaling more than $74,000 in the same time frame, then tampering with the records to cover her tracks.

“Her defense was that it was a loan,” Champagne said. “But if there was no interest being charged and your employer doesn’t know about it, it’s not a loan.”

He said Farnsworth took trips to Florida, bought cell phones for herself and family members, did her personal grocery shopping and had vehicle repairs done, using the company’s credit card to pay for all of it.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Jack Delehanty prosecuted the case and called nine witnesses during the three-day trial.

The jury received its instructions from County Court Judge Robert G. Main Jr. about 10:30 a.m. and returned a verdict about 1:30 p.m.

E-mail Denise A. Raymo at:

draymo@pressrepublican.com