Woman accused of embezzling over $600k from business owned by her father

NORWICH, Conn. (WTNH) – An Oakdale woman is accused of embezzling more than $600,000 from a Norwich business owned by her father.

In March of 2017, the Norwich Police Department received an embezzlement complaint from the owner of a Norwich auto repair and towing company. The Detective Division took on the case, and a local bank notified the business owner that his daughter, the business’ office manager at the time, was attempting to cash a check from his retirement investment account and deposit it into her own personal account.

Bank officials believed that the check’s endorsement signature was fraudulent, so the police were contacted.

Norwich officers conducted an investigation into the business’ practices and finances from 2012-2016. It was concluded that over $600,000 in transactions had been fraudulently removed from the business, as well as the business owner’s personal accounts. Those funds were then used to finance personal bills, taxes, and gambling habits of the business’ office manager, Danielle Kolashuk, 49, of Oakdale. 

Detectives obtained an arrest warrant, and charged Kolashuk with first-degree larceny and third-degree forgery.

Kolashuk turned herself into police Friday morning. She is being held on a $50,000 bond pending her arraignment.