January 21, 1999

BAYSIDE WOMAN ARRESTED IN UNDERCOVER STING FOR FORTUNETELLING AND SCHEME TO DEFRAUD

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today the arrest of a Bayside woman who advertises herself as a spiritualist, counselor and healer, on charges of attempting to steal $4,950 from an undercover police officer posing as a husband seeking marital advice.

District Attorney Brown said, "The defendant, who uses the name Signora Rita, allegedly holds herself out in the Italian American community as a person capable of curing all types of physical and emotional problems in return for varying amounts of money. In my view this kind of trickery can be very cruel. It not only takes financial advantage of vulnerable people but it misleads some into thinking that whatever is wrong can be fixed magically and, as a result, the problem, is not appropriately dealt with."

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Sonya Costello, 36, of 47-43 Utopia Parkway, Bayside. She is charged with attempted grand larceny, scheme to defraud, petit larceny and fortunetelling, among other crimes. If convicted of attempted grand larceny she faces up to 4 years in prison.

According to the charges, on January 2, 1999, an undercover detective assigned to the New York City Police Department's Special Frauds Squad went to the defendant's Bayside home after calling a number published in an advertisement that regularly appears in America Oggi, an Italian American newspaper. The undercover officer told the defendant that he was having marital difficulties and asked for her help. The defendant, it is charged, agreed to help him discover if he had a "curse" on him by burning a number of candles for which she charged $270. The undercover agreed and gave her $140, the balance to be paid on January 9th.

"It is further alleged", said District Attorney Brown, "that on January 9th the defendant told the undercover that his wife had a "curse" that was ruining their marriage but that she, the defendant, could dispel the curse by burning 90 candles at a charge of $55 each. The undercover officer then gave the defendant $140 owed from the January 2, 1999 visit and agreed to return today. This morning the undercover detective returned to the defendant's home and gave her $1,550 as a down payment on the $4,950 worth of candles and the defendant accepted the down payment. She was then placed under arrest.

The investigation leading to the arrest was carried out by members of the Special Frauds Squad which is under the supervision of Lt. Robert Groth and the overall supervision of Deputy Inspector Robert A. Martin, commanding officer of the Special Investigations Division. Detective Robert Geist arrested the defendant.

Assistant District Attorney Joseph Lobosco of the District Attorney's Organized Crime and Rackets Bureau which is under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Brian Mich and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Robert D. Alexander is in charge of the case.

It should be noted that an arrest is merely an accusation and that a defendant should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.