New Hyde Park Woman Sentenced to Up to Six Years in Prison for $750,000 Theft
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a New Hyde Park woman was sentenced today to up to six years in prison for stealing approximately $750,000 from a 91-year-old woman who had entrusted her finances to her attorney, the defendant’s employer.
Elizabeth Reilly, 50, pleaded guilty on May 4, 2023, before Judge Robert Bogle to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (a C felony). The defendant was sentenced today to three to six years in prison.
“Elizabeth Reilly took advantage of her access to an elderly woman’s finances and stole nearly three-quarters of a million dollars of the woman’s life savings over four years,” said DA Donnelly. “The defendant will now serve significant prison time for her theft. My office is committed to protecting Nassau County seniors.”
DA Donnelly said that the defendant’s employer, a Floral Park attorney, had a verbal agreement with the victim that he would handle her finances as she began executing a Power of Attorney, Living Will and other documents with him. As part of this agreement, the law office’s address became the mailing address on record for the victim’s financial institutions and Reilly was given access to bank statements, check books, credit cards and financial statements.
According to the investigation, between 2016 and 2020, more than 250 checks were written from the victim’s bank accounts and made out to the defendant or to cash and deposited into the defendant’s accounts or an account held by the defendant’s husband. The deposited checks totaled more than $675,000.
Additionally, Reilly used the victim's credit cards to make unauthorized purchases for Reilly’s own benefit. Charges included personal purchases, beauty products, a gym membership, and airline tickets. The defendant also made purchases using her own PayPal account, and then paid her account with the victim's credit card. Ultimately, the defendant paid the victim’s credit card balances online, using the victim’s bank accounts.
The theft was discovered in October 2020, when Reilly’s employer reviewed the victim’s credit card statements and saw questionable activity.
The case was referred to NCDA’s Financial Crimes Bureau in February 2021.
This case is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief Betty Rodriguez of the Financial Crimes Bureau. The defendant is represented by Marc Gann, Esq.