LI Company Manager Accused Of Stealing $1.6M From Customer Credit Accounts: DOJ

LONG ISLAND, NY — The manager of a Melville-based company was indicted in connection with wire fraud and money laundering, the United States Department of Justice said on Friday.

Tony Ream, 33, of Greenville, South Carolina, was a credit supervisor for the company, which was a worldwide distributor of medical and dental supplies, officials said. Ream, also known as "Tony Ream-Hendley" and "Tony Moul Ream," sent wire transfers totaling approximately $1.6 million from the company’s bank account to an account he controlled over the course of four years, the U.S. DOJ stated.

"As alleged, Ream is a thief who abused his authority and betrayed his employer to fund his lifestyle, including paying for the renovations of a restaurant he opened, footing the bill for his own wedding, and traveling around the world, all on the company’s dime," Joseph Nocella Jr., United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York, stated in a news release. "Embezzling company funds is a serious crime, and my office will vigorously prosecute this case to ensure Ream is held accountable for his brazen scheme."

Ream pleaded not guilty, the DOJ stated. His attorney is Raymond C. Baierlein. He is free on a $150K bond.

Ream was hired by the company in 2019 to work in their credit department, according to court filings. He began in 2020 as a credit supervisor, officials said.

Ream was accused of stealing corporate funds from customer refund accounts and diverting the money to his own accounts, prosecutors said. Additionally, while in his role as supervisor, Ream "deceived employees whom he supervised into taking steps that assisted him in carrying out his fraudulent scheme," investigators said.

Ream spent tens of thousands of dollars of the proceeds of his fraud on his wedding, hundreds of thousands on a "failed restaurant venture" in South Carolina, and tens of thousands on luxury international vacations, the U.S. Department of Justice stated.

"Tony Ream allegedly embezzled over one million dollars from his former company by diverting corporate funds to his personal account and deceiving his subordinates into perpetuating this theft," said Christopher G. Raia, FBI assistant director in charge, New York Field Office. "Ream allegedly abused his position and stole from his former company to fund his extravagant expenses. The FBI remains committed to investigating any individual who orchestrates a scheme to exploit their company to finance personal wish lists."

If convicted, Ream faces up to 20 years in prison.