Headhunter Firm Recommended Darex Embezzler for CFO Job
A Brookings man alleged to have stolen more than $1 million from his employer as its chief financial officer now says he has no money and appeared in court today with a public defender. He was arraigned on a new set of charges -- 13 counts of first-degree aggravated theft.
Gary Alan Green, convicted in 2002 of stealing more than $500,000 from Darex Corp. of Ashland, was the chief financial officer of Tidewater Contracting in Brookings. The Curry County Sheriff's Office initially reported $300,000 was missing but said as the investigation continued that the amount would likely go higher.
A preliminary hearing has been set for Oct. 7.
Tidewater said in a statement released today that Green was hired through a professional employment search firm. Tidewater paid a "substantial amount of money to locate an appropriately qualified chief financial officer for the corporation. Tidewater management has launched an investigation into the methods and practices of the firm retained who referred Gary Alan Green as an appropriate applicant."
Green worked as an accountant for Darex, a specialty tool manufacturer in Ashland. In 2002 he pleaded guilty to aggravated theft and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Attorneys for Tidewater allege that Green had access to stole more than $1 million, and alleged that Green had a large sailboat packed and ready to go to flee prosecution.
Green was first arraigned Sept. 25 in Curry County and jailed on first-degree aggravated theft charges.
His bail was set at $100,000 initially and then raised to $10 million, in part because of the large amount of money involved, because he has a boat capable of going out to sea and a passport, and because of his prior convictions.
Tidewater attorneys say an accounting firm has been hired to conduct an audit of the company. Federal authorities may also pursue charges in federal court, they said.
