Daniel Zuckerman reports for Columbia-Greene Media that Bottini Fuel, with a Tannersville office, has been ordered to pay more than $3.2 million in criminal restitution and civil damages after falsifying business records, according to a statement from the state Attorney General’s Office. The scheme diverted more than $1.7 million from customer credit balances, which will now also be returned. Bottini Fuel is based in Wappingers Falls, and pleaded guilty there Nov. 27 to second-degree falsifying business records, a class A misdemeanor; in Wappingers Falls Village Justice Court. “Bottini Fuel orchestrated a brazen scheme to defraud its customers for the benefit of the company and its owners,” Attorney General Barbara Underwood said in a statement. “This conduct was long-standing and harmed individual, business and government customers.” Bottini officials downplayed the malfeasance, in a public statement. “We regret that mistakes were made resulting in account overpayments not being returned to a small number of customers,” the statement from Bottini read. “All funds have been returned in full to the state and will be available to be reclaimed by customers.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360.com.