Bellport tax preparer accused of stealing $260K from Patchogue shop

A Bellport tax preparer was accused of turning a routine sales-tax filing job into a four-year alleged theft that prosecutors say drained $260,687.22 from a Patchogue auto repair shop.

Fabian Delgado, 34, was arrested and arraigned Thursday, May 14, 2026, before Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei on one count of grand larceny in the second degree, nine counts of falsifying business records in the first degree and nine counts of offering a false instrument for filing. Prosecutors said the scheme ran from 2021 through 2025 and involved 16 transactions.

According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Delgado worked as the shop’s tax preparer and allegedly calculated the sales tax due each quarter, told the business owner the amount and then filed false returns that underreported gross sales. The lower reported sales reduced the shop’s state tax obligation while, prosecutors say, Delgado pocketed the difference for himself.

The alleged spending trail reached well beyond ordinary living expenses. Prosecutors said the money went toward mortgage payments, credit-card bills, airplane tickets, food and OnlyFans subscriptions. The reference to subscription spending may grab attention, but the larger issue for Suffolk County small businesses is how easily a trusted financial role can mask repeated diversion of cash over years.

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney called the allegations “a calculated act of corruption that abused a position of trust.” New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Acting Commissioner Amanda Hiller said tax preparers are expected to operate with honesty and integrity, and that those who defraud clients and the state for personal gain must be held accountable.

The case is a reminder that sales-tax compliance can be a blind spot for local owners, especially when one person controls the numbers, the filings and the explanation of what is owed. New York sales tax returns may be filed quarterly, part-quarterly, monthly or annually depending on the business, which means the same accounting process can repeat month after month without close review. For Suffolk businesses, the warning is plain: if one employee is preparing the return and the owner is not independently matching it against bank deposits, gross receipts and state filings, a six-figure loss can build quietly.