Greenfield Man Accused of Stealing $16,000 From School

A Greenfield man is facing charges after allegedly stealing $16,000 while he was employed at Ethan Allen School in the Town of Delafield.

Michael T. Grochowski, 47, was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court on Wednesday with one count of theft of more than $10,000 in a business setting. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison and $25,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint:

On Feb. 18, an official with Ethan Allen contacted police after they discovered Grochowski had deposited a suspicious check from the school in his bank account valued at $4,000. The check was signed by a business manager who had recently retired.

Grochowski, who works in the business office at the school, deposited the check Feb. 7, and then asked to release $1,200 from the account the next day. Because there was a two-day hold on the check, the branch manager of the credit union where it was cashed called Ethan Allen to make sure there were sufficient funds behind the check, which alerted staff to the check’s existence.

Police then further investigated the deposit and discovered Grochowski had deposited at least 10 checks worth a total of $16,657 from the school in his bank accounts.

Grochowski told police he stole the money because of financial and mental health issues. He said he stole from a certain bank account that he knew was never audited by the school.

He will make his initial appearance in court Jan. 23.