Conn. accountant sentenced in serial embezzlements

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) — A former New Britain accountant was sentenced Tuesday to eight years in prison for embezzling more than $500,000 from a church, an elderly woman and a non-profit music group.

Alan Jonas, 65, was sentenced in New Britain Superior Court to 12 years in prison, to be suspended after eight years served, followed by five years of probation. He pleaded guilty earlier to three counts of first-degree larcency. Judge Hillary Strackbein also ordered Jonas to pay restitution in an amount still to be determined.

Prosecutors said Jonas, a certified public accountant, embezzled nearly $400,000 from the First Baptist Church in Southington, writing about 100 checks to himself when he served as its finance committee chairman between 2004 and 2008.

He also was accused of stealing $72,000 from an 82-year-old Alzheimer's patient, for whom he was the court-appointed conservator, in 2009 and 2010. He allegedly wrote 35 checks to himself and left her estate $65,000 in debt.

Prosecutors said Jonas stole about $35,000 from the New Britain non-profit while serving as its treasurer between 2007 and 2010.

Jonas had been convicted in 1999 of embezzling $22,000 from Middlesex Hospital, where he was chief financial officer, to buy pornography. He repaid the money, got treatment for psychological problems and served three years' probation.