A Westbury man accused of stealing more than $360,000 from an Old Westbury church where he served as treasurer was allegedly duped into believing he was in line for inheritance money in England and South Africa, Nassau County prosecutors said.
Joaquim Canario, 74, of Westbury, faces up to 15 years in prison on a top charge of 2nd degree felony grand larceny if convicted of stealing $366,730.12 from the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Old Westbury, according to Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice’s office.
Canario was arrested and arraigned on Wednesday before Nassau County Court Judge Philip Grella, who released Canario on his own recognizance, prosecutors said. He is due back in court on Jan. 20.
“People have the right to exercise their freedom of religion without fearing that their house of worship will be targeted by someone for their own selfish financial gain,” Rice said in a statement. “That this defendant was a member and trusted employee of this congregation makes his crime all the more inconceivable for men and women of faith.”
Efforts to reach Canario’s attorney, Larry Flowers, of Huntington, were unavailing.
According to the DA’s office, Canario stole the money from a church bank account between April 2008 and January 2012, when he was employed there as its treasurer.
Canario often used the funds for non-church purposes, prosecutors said, including payments to banks in South Africa and England toward a fake multi-million dollar inheritance for which he was allegedly tricked into believing he was the beneficiary.
The alleged theft was discovered in November 2013 by a church member, who referred the matter to the DA’s office.
