Sonny DiCrecchio Will Plead Guilty to Massive Embezzlement Scheme
Federal criminal cases tend to linger on and on. The FBI arrests somebody. That somebody retains an attorney. And maybe two years later, you’ll get a result at trial or a last-minute plea deal just before trial. So longtime Philly produce CEO Caesar “Sonny” DiCrecchio might be setting a record by agreeing to plead guilty less than one month after his arrest.
According to the Department of Justice, DiCrecchio, 60, is
set to plead guilty to embezzling more than $7 million from Southwest Philly’s
700,000 square foot Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, where he was CEO
until he abruptly resigned in 2018 amid rumors of a federal investigation.
On March 10th, the feds charged DiCrecchio with two counts
of wire fraud, one county of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy
to commit money laundering, one count of aggravated identity theft, and four
counts of tax evasion.
Prosecutors say the Voorhees resident fraudulently cashed
checks made out to bogus companies from the market’s account. He also skimmed
the proceeds from the market’s cash-only parking lot, where cars paid $1 each
to park in the lot while larger trucks paid up to $35. The skim added up to
$2.6 million in pilfered cash, while the rest of his misdeeds totaled $5.2
million, for a grand total of $7.8 million.
According to the feds, a big chunk of his ill-gotten gains
went to pay for a $20,000-per-month rental home in Stone Harbor. He also spent
the money on trips to the Super Bowl ($60,000 for one such jaunt) and Disney
World. He also used the money to pay for boarding for his granddaughter’s
horses. And DiCrecchio was apparently a generous patron of various Mummers
groups, using embezzled funds to make donations to string bands.
In a court filing, the government indicated that DiCrecchio
has agreed to plead guilty to every single one of the counts in the indictment
against him. He’s also agreed to not contest forfeiture of his property and
restitution orders, and he’s voluntarily waiving his right to any appeal.
DiCrecchio has “demonstrated acceptance of responsibility
for his offense” and “assisted authorities in the investigation or prosecution
of his own misconduct by timely notifying the government of his intent to plead
guilty, thereby permitting the government to avoid preparing for trial,” wrote
Assistant United States Attorney Michael Donovan in that filing.
For his cooperation, DiCrecchio can expect a more lenient
sentence than he otherwise would have received. The maximum sentence for his
crimes could have totaled more than 100 years in federal prison. A sentencing
date has yet to be announced. DiCrecchio’s attorney did not immediately respond
to a request for comment.
Thomas del Borrello, owner of United Check Cashing at 1123
South Broad Street in South Philadelphia, has also agreed to plead guilty,
according to prosecutors. The feds say that del Borrello and DiCrecchio
conspired to make the illegal check cashing scheme possible.
No word yet on the fate of the other defendants in the case.
They include longtime market bookkeeper Patricia Pumphrey, who is charged with
wire fraud and conspiracy, and Eric Fante, a Delco contractor. Pumphrey’s
attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment in light of
DiCrecchio forthcoming guilty plea.
According to court documents, Fante conspired with
DiCrecchio to have the contractor do flooring work for friends and associates
of DiCrecchio, all paid for by the market.
“I think the government and the defense both agree that Eric
did not go into this intending to commit a crime,” Chuck Peruto, Fante’s
attorney, told Philly Mag in March, going on to say that he thought he was just
doing “small favors” for DiCrecchio, an investor in Fante’s flooring company.
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