A Berkshire-based biotechnology entrepreneur accused of taking investor funds for personal use may have paid workers from a frozen company account.
In early August, a civil lawsuit was filed in a Massachusetts’ federal court against Pat Muraca of Pittsfield for allegedly diverting $400,000 of investor money for his two companies, including Lee-based NanoMolecularDX, to pay his mortgage, write checks to family members and support his fiancée’s restaurants. Muraca has offices in Pittsfield, and Albany, New York.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan filed a parallel criminal case.
The Berkshire Eagle reports a temporary restraining order was filed on July 31st freezing the company’s assets. Muraca allegedly paid six employees the next day, assuring them the company’s assets were not frozen.
Muraca did not respond to a request from WAMC, but his spokesperson told the newspaper Muraca had no knowledge of the order when the conversation occurred.