(WNY News Now) – BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced on Thursday that Dejan Karlovic, 29, of Amherst, NY, has pleaded guilty to theft of funds related to a government program. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Rudroff, who is prosecuting the case, stated that Karlovic, formerly a Senior Grants Accountant at Jericho Road Community Health Center, misappropriated $584,884.99 between March 1 and June 26, 2024.
Jericho Road, which received more than $10,000 in federal funding from January to March 2024, operates various community health initiatives. As part of his role, Karlovic had access to several organizational credit cards and financial accounts. During the theft period, he submitted falsified invoices from a fictitious company, “D and D,” disguising them as relocation-related expenses—a legitimate service Jericho Road provides to its clients. He then used a Jericho Road commercial credit card to pay these fraudulent invoices.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, led by Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
Karlovic is scheduled for sentencing at a later date.
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