WATERLOO, NY (WENY) -- A Seneca County man will spend more than two years in prison for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from a local winery.

Forty-three year old Michael Stein was sentenced in federal court in Rochester to 27 months in prison, following a conviction of wire fraud. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Stein was hired as the office manager and bookkeeper of Bellangelo Wineries (re-branded to Missick Cellars) in Dundee.

During that time, he used miscellaneous payroll methods to embezzle $228,573.31 from the winery between November 2018, and March 2022. Prosecutors say he received unauthorized mileage reimbursements, reimbursements for medical premiums, miscellaneous expenses, unauthorized payments of petty cash, and made unauthorized ATM withdrawals.

In addition to the prison sentence, Stein is ordered to pay restitution in the full amount he stole from the winery.

The winery is now permanently closed.