DISTRICT ATTORNEY - NEW YORK COUNTY

NEWS RELEASE
July 22, 2009

Contact: Alicia Maxey Greene
212-335-9400

Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau announced today the indictment and arrest of a New Jersey woman who stole over $1.7 million from the Manhattan-based private investment firm where she worked as the office manager.

The defendant, DIANA LUCRETIA MONTAGUE-GRIFFIN, 59, was indicted on charges of grand larceny, forgery, and criminal possession of a forged instrument. The crimes charged in the indictment occurred between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2008.

The investigation leading to today’s indictment revealed that MONTAGUE-GRIFFIN stole over $1.6 million from Arcadia Investment Partners, LLC and its affiliate, Communication Investment Partners, LLC, both of which are wholly owned by managing director Kammy Moalemzadeh. MONTAGUE-GRIFFIN stole this money through numerous unauthorized wire transfers and checks bearing the forged signature of Moalemzadeh. MONTAGUE-GRIFFIN stole an additional $50,000 by forging checks from the accounts of other investment vehicles (Limited Liability Companies) managed by Arcadia and Moalemzadeh. She also stole from the firm by making unauthorized personal charges on the company American Express card totaling approximately $70,000.

MONTAGUE-GRIFFIN spent most of the stolen money on a wide variety of goods and services. For example, she spent at least $250,000 on renovations to her new home in Matawan, N.J., including more than $59,000 on an in-ground pool and over $12,000 on landscaping. She spent thousands more each month on numerous credit and debit card purchases including, among other things, hair and skin products, dental care, dining and clothes, and she made frequent purchases at department stores and online retailers including Nordstrom, Macys, QVC, Amazon.com, Target, JC Penny, and Wal-Mart. MONTAGUE-GRIFFIN also directed over $75,000 in stolen money to her family-run home improvement contracting business, Promise Kept Construction. She made over $375,000 in cash withdrawals during the offense period and gave another $74,500 to members of her family.

The indictment charges MONTAGUE-GRIFFIN with one count of Grand Larceny in the First Degree, a class B felony punishable by up to 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison. The indictment also charges five counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and 10 counts each of Forgery in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, each of which is a class D felony punishable by 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison.

MONTAGUE-GRIFFIN was arrested today at her home and is awaiting extradition to New York.

Mr. Morgenthau thanked Sergeant Kevin Morton of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey for his assistance in arresting the defendant this morning.

Assistant District Attorneys Savvas Diacosavvas and Victoria Phillips presented the case to the Grand Jury under the supervision of Special Prosecutions Bureau Chief Thomas Wornom and Deputy Chiefs Joan Delaney and Judy Salwen. Financial Investigator Vincent Jones of the District Attorney’s Office assisted in the investigation, under the supervision of Principal Accountant Investigator Michael Vecchio and Frank Puma, Chief of the District Attorney’s Financial Crimes Bureau. Detective Anthony Pasquariello of the District Attorney’s Office Squad also assisted in the investigation.

Defendant Information:

DIANA LUCRETIA MONTAGUE-GRIFFIN, 9/3/1949
13 Donald Circle
Matawan, New Jersey

###