Rochester-Area Man Indicted for Fraud and Money Laundering

Michael Bartusek was Chief Financial Officer of A New Hartford, New York Company

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Michael Bartusek, age 57, of Fairport, New York, was arrested yesterday on an indictment alleging wire fraud and money laundering stemming from his work as Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) for a business in New Hartford, New York.  The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Susan Ferensic, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The indictment alleges that Bartusek was formerly the CFO of a company based in New Hartford, New York, and covertly diverted approximately $776,000 of the firm’s money for personal expenses and to make a high-risk investment in African diamonds for his own benefit.   

The charges filed against Bartusek carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the loss suffered by the victim, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

Bartusek was arraigned yesterday in Syracuse, before United States Magistrate Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks and was released pending a trial before Senior United States District Court Judge Thomas J. McAvoy.

The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Gadarian and Nico Commandeur.