THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2005
D.A. BROWN: BROOKLYN WOMAN SENTENCED TO UP TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON FOR FLEECING FIVE WOMEN IN $20,000 SCAM
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that a Brooklyn woman has been sentenced to up to five years in prison for fleecing five female victims – aged 50 to 75 – and stealing over $20,000 from them.
District Attorney Brown said, “The defendant fed her victims with tall tales and promises of easy money and fleeced them of thousands of dollars and jewelry as well – including one victim’s wedding ring. The victims were targeted, manipulated and exploited because they were vulnerable and lonely. The defendant will now be penalized for her actions by a prison term that fits her crimes.”
District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Margaret Wilson, 58, of 2261 Ryder Avenue in Brooklyn, no known employment. The defendant pled guilty on October 7, 2005 to Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and admitted that she had stolen over $20,000 from her victims.
The District Attorney said that earlier today Queens Supreme Court Justice James P. Griffin sentenced the defendant to serve two and one-half to five years in prison.
District Attorney Brown said that an investigation began in December 2004 after the New York City Police Department’s 105 Detective Squad received complaints from the victims that they had been ripped off in a scheme involving a female assisted by a male accomplice and referred the case to the District Attorney’s Economic Crimes Bureau and Elder Abuse Project. The defendant was thereafter arrested on February 9, 2005 at her Brooklyn residence. The investigation is continuing.
District Attorney Brown said, “Crimes involving the financial exploitation of the elderly are among the most devastating forms of elder abuse. Crimes against the elderly -- whether they involve physical or, as in this case, financial harm -- are a stain against society and will be vigorously prosecuted.”
The District Attorney’s Elder Abuse Project was established in 1994. Its goal is to protect seniors from abuse -- physical, emotional, financial and sexual -- and neglect such as denial of basic needs like food, personal care, housing, medical needs or other necessities. Victims of elder abuse are assisted 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They are offered counseling, assistance with the court system, information about elder abuse victims’ services, referrals to other services and community groups, abuse prevention seminars and Crimes Victims Board compensation claims assistance. Training for professionals and community groups in elder abuse detection, assessment and prevention is also provided.
According to the District Attorney, the crimes involving this defendant took place between December 14, 2004 and January 28, 2005. The victims were approached during midday at various bus stops located in St. Albans, Laurelton and Fresh Meadows.
District Attorney Brown said that the scheme usually worked in the following way: a male not yet apprehended acting together with the defendant would approach a victim, display a wallet containing a large sum of cash and say that he had just found the wallet on the street. The defendant would walk by and the male who would show her the wallet as well. The defendant and her male accomplice together would speak to the victim, gain the victim’s sympathy and trust and ask the victim to put up a large sum of “good faith” money before completing a split of the “found” money. Some victims were told that they needed to provide a large sum of money to facilitate an examination of the serial numbers on the currency in the wallet. All victims felt compelled to stay and comply with the defendant’s and the unapprehended male’s demands and willingly agreed to provide the large sums of money requested and all said that they could retrieve it either from their home or their bank.
The District Attorney said that in one instance the defendant and her accomplice drove a 58-year-old victim to her residence in St. Albans where the defendant waited inside the victim’s house until the victim gave her $4,000. The accomplice then told the victim that the $4,000 was insufficient and asked if she had more money. When the victim replied affirmatively, the couple drove the victim to a bank branch nearby where the defendant withdrew an additional $6,000 and handed it over to the accomplice. The defendant and her accomplice then drove the victim to another location in Queens and told the victim that the defendant had to check on the authenticity of the found money. The male exited the car with the victim, holding an envelope containing the money that the victim had given to him. The accomplice then said that he had left something in the car. The accomplice re-entered the automobile and drove away with the defendant.
According to the District Attorney, in another instance, a 61-year-old victim handed over $400 in cash and $3,000 in jewelry, including her wedding ring, to the defendant.
The investigation was conducted by Detective Thomas Lyons of the New York City Police Department’s 105th Precinct Detective Squad under the supervision of Lieutenant Michael Miltenberg and Sergeant Michael Blangiforti and the overall supervision of Deputy Inspector Stephen O’Brien, Commanding Officer, and Detective Edward Caddle of the NYPD’s 107th Detective Squad under the supervision of Sergeant Michael Briedenbach with the assistance of Laurie K. Woods, Esq., Social Worker and Coordinator of District Attorney Brown’s Elder Abuse Project.
Assistant District Attorney Mariana Zelig of District Attorney Brown's Economic Crimes Bureau prosecuted the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Gregory C. Pavlides, Bureau Chief, and Diane M. Peress, Deputy Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Peter A. Crusco and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigation Linda M. Cantoni.