A judge ordered the owners of a now defunct Murrysville business that streamed wildlife videos over the internet to turn over personal financial and tax records to lawyers representing a former employee accused of stealing from the company four years ago.
Attorneys for Rick V. Furnari, 61, of Murrysville claim they need the records to prepare a defense for a trial scheduled to begin in June.
Prosecutors say Furnari worked for PixController in Murrysville. The once-popular company operated cameras and streamed wildlife images, including bald eagle nests. Furnari was fired in 2015, and three years later, police charged him with theft, forgery and other offenses after it was alleged he embezzled an estimated $45,000 from the company in 2014 and 2015.
According to court records, police said Furnari oversaw the company’s finances and diverted cash from the business through a salary paid to his wife for a job that did not exist. Investigators also accused Furnari of forging documents to assume ownership of the business.
Furnari denies the allegations, claiming his actions were in accordance with his job and that he had an ownership stake at the company.
“He was a 50% owner in the company. How can he steal from himself?” argued defense attorney Al Lindsay.
In Westmoreland County court on Tuesday, Furnari’s lawyers said a yearlong effort to obtain company and private records has been rebuffed by prosecutors and an attorney for the former owners of the business.
Assistant District Attorney Anthony Iannamorelli said prosecutors turned over all documents in their possession, and a lawyer for PixController said business records — contained on one laptop — were emailed to defense lawyers.
Prosecutors claim that neither they nor the alleged victims should be responsible for acquiring records for the defense, which could include records from private, third-party financial companies and banks.
“This is a fishing expedition, and they are asking (the alleged victims) to get a pole and grab some bait,” Iannamorelli said.
Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger directed Furnari’s lawyers to seek banking, payroll and other records through their own subpoenas. The judge ordered PixController’s former owners to give the defense personal banking and tax records.
The defense said it will seek dismissal of the criminal case because of a 2017 civil lawsuit settlement that released Furnari from any further legal penalties, Lindsay claims.
