Norwalk woman accused of embezzlement seeks probation

STAMFORD — A Norwalk woman accused of defrauding a Darien company out of nearly $200,000 over several years applied for a pretrial probationary program.

Daria Opolski, 40, of Norwalk, applied for the accelerated rehabilitation program, a pretrial probation program that could result in all the charges against her being dropped, during a hearing at state Superior Court in Stamford on Wednesday.

“This is certainly not the direction the state was going,” Assistant State’s Attorney Sean McGuinness said after criminal defense attorney Mark Phillips entered the application on behalf of Opolski.

Opolski was arrested in September 2022 on charges of first-degree larceny, embezzlement, second-degree forgery and first-degree identity theft — all of which, except for forgery, are Class B felonies.

Under Connecticut state law, the accelerated rehabilitation program may be granted for certain Class B and C felonies, if a Superior Court judge makes a finding of “good cause.”

Darien police said in an arrest warrant that they began investigating Opolski in August 2022 when a local business reported they suspected Opolski had stolen “at least $50,000.”

The woman told police they began to suspect Opolski after uncovering “discrepancies” while reviewing the company’s financial records, including payments to credit cards not on company books, the warrant said.

In an interview Opolski allegedly admitted to writing several checks, making them payable to the company of a family member of hers, the warrant said.

A later forensic analysis of the business revealed an additional $144,533 stolen from the company in transactions starting in 2017.

Opolski, who is free after posting $50,000, is next expected to appear in court on May 31.