Staff Member Accused Of Stealing $25K From Elderly Resident Of Assisted Living Home: Police

The 39-year-old Suffern woman was arraigned in the Town of Ramapo Court and released on her own recognizance.

by Jeff Edwards

RAMAPO, NY — A woman who was trusted to help seniors instead stole from a resident of an assisted living facility.

In July 2025, the Ramapo Police Department received a report of a larceny from a resident of the local senior assisted living facility. The victim reported unauthorized withdrawals from his bank account totaling approximately $25,000.

After a lengthy investigation, police determined that a staff member at the facility had unlawfully accessed the resident's financial account and made a series of unauthorized transactions, transferring funds into her personal account.

On Tuesday, the suspect, a 39-year-old female resident of Suffern, was arrested and charged with grand larceny. She was arraigned in the Town of Ramapo Court and released on her own recognizance, pending a future court appearance in the Village of Chestnut Ridge.

Police said the arrest should serve as a reminder to be on the lookout for scams targeting the elderly.

"The Ramapo Police Department urges all seniors and their family members to remain vigilant against scams and financial exploitation, particularly those targeting the elderly," officials said. "To help prevent fraud: Refrain from sharing personal or financial information with unverified individuals or organizations. Regularly review bank accounts, credit card statements, retirement accounts, and other financial records. Be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, emails, or text messages — especially those that create a sense of urgency or demand immediate payment."

In cases where scammers are preying on people's fear and trust, an ounce of prevention really can be worth a pound of cure.

"If someone claims to represent a legitimate company, hang up and contact the company directly using a verified phone number," Ramapo police said. "When in doubt, consult a trusted friend, family member, or contact your local police department for assistance. The Ramapo Police Department remains committed to protecting our senior community and holding those who commit financial crimes accountable." 

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Staff Member Accused Of Stealing $25K From Elderly Resident Of Assisted Living Home: Police 

NYSP: Schoharie woman steals from guardianship account

by: Harrison Gereau

COBLESKILL, N.Y. (NEWS10) — A Schoharie woman is doing time in Schenectady County Jail after she allegedly stole over $265,000 from a guardianship account. The funds were reported missing on Oct. 6, 2022, from an account owned by Daniel S. Ross of Ross Law Offices in Middleburgh.  

While investigating the alleged theft, officers learned that Amber M. Wood, 39, of Schoharie, had worked as a secretary for Ross. Between November 2013 and June 2021, police claim Wood took the cash out of her boss’ guardianship account and deposited it into her personal bank account.

During the same time frame, Wood allegedly altered business records related to the guardianship bank account. Those were later filed with Schoharie County Surrogate Court containing false information, police said. 

Wood was charged with second-degree grand larceny, eight counts of third-degree grand larceny, five counts of second-degree forgery, five counts of first-degree falsifying business records, and fourth-degree grand larceny.

On Friday, Wood turned herself over to state police. She was arraigned at the Cobleskill Town Court and sent to Schenectady County Jail. She will be arraigned in Schenectady County soon on charges stemming from the same incident.

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NYSP: Schoharie woman steals from guardianship account

Couple Charged with Swiping $500K+ from Senior

Photo Courtesy of Maps Queens

Working in the family’s Corona home, Luz Tejeda developed a friendly relationship with the elderly victim.

By Forum Staff

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Friday that Luz and Rosendo Tejeda, of Manhattan, have been charged with grand larceny and other crimes for allegedly swindling a disabled woman and her elderly mother out of more than $500,000. The couple is accused of switching bank accounts to have the victim’s monthly annuities deposited into their personal account between November 2016 through September 2020.

Rosendo Tejeda, 63, of Lenox Avenue was arraigned Wednesday before Queens Criminal Court Judge Mary Bejarano on a complaint charging him with grand larceny in the second degree, criminal possession of stolen property in the second degree and endangering the welfare of an incompetent person.

Luz Tejeda, 56, now of East 14th Street in Hazelton, PA., was arraigned late last night before Queens Criminal Court Judge Bejarano on a complaint charging her with grand larceny in the second degree, criminal possession of stolen property in the second degree, attempted grand larceny in the second degree, identity theft in the first degree, scheme to defraud in the first degree and endangering the welfare of an incompetent person. The defendants’ return date is February 5, 2021. If convicted, they both face up to 15 years in prison.

District Attorney Katz said, defendant Luz Tejeda was hired to coordinate home care for the 43-year-old victim who was born deaf, blind, immobile and intellectually disabled. A lawsuit alleging medical malpractice was filed on behalf of the victim and when a settlement was reached the cash was disbursed via monthly annuity payments. Working in the family’s Corona home, defendant Luz Tejeda developed a friendly relationship with the elderly mother. The senior – who does not speak or read English – trusted the worker and her husband and signed documents giving the Tejedas shared guardianship of her daughter.

Continuing, according to the charges, in the fall of 2016 the defendants allegedly reached out to the financial services company disbursing the monthly annuity and requested the deposits be diverted to their personal bank account. In June 2019, the defendants also submitted a letter supposedly written by the incapacitated victim to change her physical address to their own Manhattan home.

In addition to the re-direction of annuity payments in excess of $500,000 to their own personal accounts, according to the charges, defendant Luz Tejeda allegedly completed an application with Settlement Resources of New York, Ltd to borrow more than $145,000 against the victim’s future annuity payments and further received loan advances totaling $9,400 that were deposited into the defendant’s personal accounts.

This commencement of the criminal investigation stopped the disbursement of monies to the defendants in September 2020.

DA Katz said the elderly mother was under the impression the monthly deposits had stopped due to the financial institution filing bankruptcy. The scheme was discovered when a new, kind and compassionate health care attendant attending to the elderly mother realized the household was not receiving monies to support the mother and her incapacitated daughter and made a referral to the Queens County District Attorney’s Elder Fraud Unit.

If anyone believes they are being victimized, please call the Elder Fraud Unit at (718) 286-6578.

 

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Couple Charged with Swiping $500K+ from Senior

Disbarred Flushing Attorney Charged for Allegedly Stealing Client’s Personal Injury Settlement

By Christian Murray

A disbarred Flushing attorney who allegedly stole $66,000 from a client who had won a personal injury settlement has been charged with grand larceny, forgery and other financial crimes.

Yohan Choi, 44, who had a legal practice on Northern Boulevard, was charged for bilking his client out of the settlement proceeds from a case involving a 2016 car crash.

“The defendant was entrusted to uphold the law,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. “Instead he allegedly lied, manipulated and then enriched himself with funds intended for his client. This defendant is accused of violating his fiduciary duties to feed his own greed.”

According to the charges, the insurance company awarded the victim $93,000 in November 2017, shortly after Choi had been disbarred for reasons not dealing with the case.

Choi allegedly convinced his client at the time that he could negotiate a larger settlement and deposited the $93,000 into his law firm account after forging his client’s signature on the check.

The defendant then told the victim in December 2019 that the case had finally been settled. Choi then wrote the victim out a fraudulent check for $100,000, which had a stop payment order placed on.

The victim then confronted Choi, who allegedly said the insurance company put the hold on the check. He wrote him out a second check that also could not be cashed.

The District Attorney’s office said that the victim then learned that Choi had been disbarred and confronted him yet again. In March, the defendant finally paid.

Choi was charged with grand larceny in the fourth degree, forgery in the third degree, criminal possession of a forged instrument in the third degree and for practicing law after being disbarred.

He faces up to 4 years in prison if convicted.

 

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Disbarred Flushing Attorney Charged for Allegedly Stealing Client’s Personal Injury Settlement

Disbarred Sands Point lawyer allegedly stole $150K from clients: Queens DA

By Rose Weldon

The law firm Kohn & Kohn, where Sands Point resident Michael Kohn, accused of withholding funds from his clients, practiced prior to resigning from the bar in 2019. (Photo courtesy of Google Maps)

A Queens-based disbarred lawyer and Sands Point resident has been accused of stealing $150,000 from three of his clients.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Wednesday that Michael Kohn of Sycamore Drive, who had an office called Kohn and Kohn in Fresh Meadows, has been charged with three counts of grand larceny.

“The defendant in this case is accused of breaching the trust of his clients and unjustly enriching himself,” Katz said. “The victims trusted the defendant to act on their behalf, when they hired him to handle various legal matters. Instead the defendant allegedly pocketed tens of thousands of dollars that should have been distributed to his clients. The defendant now faces serious charges and will be held accountable for these alleged criminal acts.”

Kohn was arraigned late Wednesday afternoon before Queens Criminal Court Judge Joanne Watters before being released on his own recognizance and ordered to return to court on Oct. 27. If convicted, Kohn could face up to 15 years in prison.

According to the charges, an investigation which included interviews with clients and detailed forensic review of bank records allegedly shows that Kohn stole funds held in multiple bank accounts that should have been dispersed to his clients.

“The victims, however, were either left empty-handed or given just a fraction of the funds they were due,” a statement from the DA’s office said.

The office, which withheld victims’ names, said that the first victim was an administrator for a deceased relative’s estate, and hired the defendant to handle the sale of property in Douglaston, Queens.

In June of 2013, the property sold for about $650,000 and the funds were deposited into an account controlled by Kohn.

“However, the victim only received $100,000 in proceeds from the sale of the real estate,” the office stated.

Continuing, the DA said, in July 2015, the second victim hired Katz to handle a personal injury case, whose civil matter was settled for $90,000.

“When the victim asked Kohn for the money, he allegedly told [the victim] that there was a delay due to an outstanding medical bill,” the office said. “That bill totaled about $4300. The victim allegedly never received a dime of the settlement money even though the funds were deposited in a bank account controlled by the defendant.”

The charges then state that on August 30, 2016, the third victim was the executor of an estate and hired Kohn to handle the sale of estate property in Woodside, Queens.

“The real estate sold for approximately $868,000 with $358,000 payable to the executor,” the statement said. “The victim received two checks in the amount of $75,000 and another for $25,000. Bank records allegedly showed that the account which held the funds as of June 30, 20l7 had a balance of just $19,000. The victim never received the remaining proceeds from the estate sale.”

Katz said that Kohn, 70, had voluntarily resigned from the bar in January 2019 for disciplinary reasons.

Assistant District Attorney Karlton Jarrett, of District Attorney’s Public Corruption Bureau, is prosecuting the case.

Garden City-based attorney Brian Griffin is representing Kohn. Efforts to contact Griffin for comment were unavailing.

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Disbarred Sands Point lawyer allegedly stole $150K from clients: Queens DA

Woman arrested for stealing over $1000 elderly victim

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(WBNG) -- The Delaware County Sheriff's Office says a home health care aide was arrested following an investigation into theft Saturday morning.

The sheriff's office says 31-year-old Brandi A. Wyckoff of Delhi, N.Y. was charged with grand larceny in the 4th degree, a class E felony, and three counts of petit larceny, a misdemeanor.

Authorities say in September 2019, Wyckoff stole a credit card from an elderly, "ailing" victim and spent over $1000.

Wyckoff was employed for the elderly victim between August and October 2019.

The sheriff's office says Wyckoff was arraigned in the Town of Delhi Court and released on her own recognizance.

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Woman arrested for stealing over $1000 elderly victim

S’Park attorney indicted for allegedly stealing more than $150K from clients

A Sunset Park attorney was indicted on charges of two counts of second- and third-degree grand larceny and two counts of first-degree perjury in Brooklyn Supreme Court on June 25 after he allegedly stole more than $150,000 from his clients.

District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said the court would punish lawyer for allegedly betraying his clients’ trust.

“This defendant was entrusted to safeguard these funds, but instead allegedly stole the money and used it for his own purposes,” Gonzalez said. “We will now hold him accountable for his alleged criminal actions.”

Between 2014 and 2018, the attorney — who hails from the distant land of Pennsylvania — allegedly stole a $98,000 down payment in a real estate transaction plus a $55,000 client settlement, and ignored numerous attempts to contact him, according to Gonzalez.

He was released without bail and ordered to return to court on September 19, the district attorney’s office said.

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S’Park attorney indicted for allegedly stealing more than $150K from clients

Ex-lawyer allegedly stole $150,000 from clients

A former Brooklyn lawyer has been indicted for allegedly pocketing around $150,000 from clients’ escrow accounts.

Robert Parker pleaded not guilty Monday as he was arraigned on charges of grand larceny and perjury in the case.

Parker, who once had an office in Sunset Park, is accused of stealing nearly $100,000 of a real estate down payment, in addition to $55,000 from a client settlement.

“This defendant was entrusted to safeguard these funds but instead allegedly stole the money and used it for his own purposes,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement. “We will now hold him accountable.”

Parker, who was released without bail, is due back in court Sept. 19.

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Ex-lawyer allegedly stole $150,000 from clients