UPDATE | $1.7 million theft reported from Boardman firm

BOARDMAN

More than $1.7 million was reported stolen from a township business Thursday, according to a police report.

Daniel Kessler, who owns Boardman Molded Products, told police a total of $1,759,415 was taken from the company’s First National Bank account and wired to businesses in Cambodia and Hong Kong, the report said.

Kessler previously received one of the state approved licenses for medical marijuana cultivation in Youngstown. He co-owns Boardman Molded Products with a family member.

From Jan. 16 to 25, six accounts payable transactions were requested from Kessler’s email, but not by him, according to the report.

Thursday, an email requesting $765,000 was sent to the bank, but there wasn’t enough in the account to cover the request.

Kessler told police he does not suspect anybody from Boardman Molded Products is responsible, according to the report.

Kessler called police after learning about the missing money.

A Youngstown location will be among 12 large-growing sites in Ohio to cultivate medical marijuana starting next September.

Riviera Creek Holding LLC of Youngstown, operated by Brian Kessler and his nephew, Daniel Kessler, was awarded a Level 1 license by the Ohio Department of Commerce for up to 25,000 square feet of growing space.

The company will operate out of 1275 Crescent St. – which it owns and used to house Maui Toys Inc., Kessler said. It’s been vacant since earlier this year, he said.

The company plans an investment of $10 million to $15 million over three years with 181 to 319 jobs by 2022 including 71 employees in its first year, he said.