Beacon Man Steals $189,000 From Philipstown Business

PHILIPSTOWN, NY — A Dutchess County man was accused of stealing almost $190,000 from his boss.

Putnam County Sheriff Kevin J. McConville said, on June 1, deputies and investigators interviewed an owner of a business in Philipstown who said he had noticed anomalies in his business account that showed a large number of purchase orders being diverted as refunds to unknown credit card accounts.

The case was turned over to investigators who reviewed the business accounting software and information derived from subpoenas for the bank account of Walter Alex Munoz, 46, of Beacon.

The sheriff’s office said the subpoenas allowed investigators to gather enough evidence for an arrest.

Munoz was arrested June 12 after being accused of stealing more than $189,000 from his employer over a one-year period.

He was charged with second-degree grand larceny, first-degree computer tampering and first-degree falsifying business records, all felonies.

Munoz was arraigned in the Philipstown Town Court before a judge who required him to surrender his passport.

He was released on his own recognizance to appear in court at a future date.