Officials say she stole thousands from the man and allowed his home to fall into disrepair, and nearly let him lose it.
by Alex Costello
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| The Nassau County District Attorney said Luigia "Gina" D'Amore stole $150,000 from a developmentally disabled man who she was acting as guardian for. (Shutterstock ) |
LEVITTOWN, NY — A Levittown woman was indicted today on charges of stealing more than $150,000 from a developmentally disabled man whom she acted as legal guardian for, the Nassau County district attorney said.
Luigia "Gina" D'Amore, 57, was charged with second-degree grand larceny, first-degree endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, and two counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing. She pleaded not guilty, and was released on her own recognizance. She faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
“This defendant befriended her alleged victim when they worked together for the Town of Hempstead, ultimately becoming his legal guardian after his retirement and taking control of the man’s finances,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. “For the next several years, this defendant allegedly siphoned more than $150,000 from her elderly victim’s accounts and failed to pay his bills, leaving him to live in a mouse-infested home. The residence fell into disrepair and was nearly lost due to non-payment of taxes. This charged conduct is reprehensible, and my office will ensure justice for the victim in this case.”
According to Donnelly, Between July 2016 and June 2019, D'Amore acted as the appointed guardian for a developmentally disabled retiree from the Town of Hempstead Parks Department. Donnelly said D'Amore stole $150,000 from the man's bank accounts without providing proof to the courts that the money was being used for his benefit, as required by guardianship.
Donnelly said D'Amore would skim money from checks the victim received, depositing most into his accounts and taking the rest in cash for herself. She also made additional cash withdrawals from his accounts, Donnelly said, and wrote checks worth tens of thousands of dollars out to "cash," which she then cashed.
D’Amore failed to provide
receipts for the cash withdrawals and checks when she submitted her
accounting to the court as the victim’s guardian, Donnelly said.
In addition to stealing money, Donnelly said that D'Amore failed to pay for utilities and maintenance to the man's home, allowing it to fall into disrepair. She also didn't pay property taxes on the home in 2018 and 2019, Donnelly said, leading to a tax lien being placed on the home and the property nearly being auctioned in February 2020 for non-payment.
Full Article & Source:
Nassau Woman, Acting As Guardian, Stole $150K From Disabled Man: DA
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