An Higher West Aspect doorman is accused of stealing practically $480,000 from a retired instructor and her husband after the lady moved right into a nursing house and later died — as soon as disguising his voice to sound like hers as a part of the shifty scheme, Manhattan prosecutors mentioned.
Alfredo Mateo, 38, allegedly began preying on the lady whereas she was below a court-ordered guardianship resulting from incapacitation whereas her partner nonetheless lived at their condo at 380 Riverside Drive earlier than he died in September 2022.
The day after his demise, Mateo, of Yonkers, started depositing the primary of 26 checks he swiped from the instructor, writing many of the checks to himself from the sufferer’s checking account, the Manhattan District Legal professional’s Workplace alleged.
He additionally allegedly stole $3,000 from the husband’s account.
Whereas draining the couple’s coffers, he then allegedly schemed to take cash from the instructor’s annuity and pension that she earned from her service as a metropolis educator.
Mateo dug via a lecturers’ retirement type mailed to the condo that her private data was on to submit 5 false types to the retirement system between Could 5, 2023 and Oct. 12, 2023, prosecutors mentioned.
Two of the types had been even submitted after the instructor died in July 2023 that led to the payout of her annuity and sought to change her direct deposit to Mateo’s checking account, based on the district legal professional’s workplace.
He is also accused of stealing a number of pension checks that had been despatched to the instructor after she died.
Mateo tried twice calling the Lecturers’ Retirement System to change the telephone quantity on her membership, and after failing the primary time, tried to alter his voice to sound like the lady, who was 91 on the time, based on prosecutors.
Total, Mateo allegedly stole a whopping $477,685, prosecutors mentioned.
“Those that make the most of the entry entrusted in them to focus on older neighborhood members and steal from hardworking New Yorkers will probably be held accountable,” District Legal professional Alvin Bragg mentioned in an announcement.
Mateo is going through seven felony counts, together with second-degree grand larceny, second-degree felony possession of stolen property, first-degree id theft, second-degree felony possession of a solid instrument and associated prices, the district legal professional’s workplace mentioned.
Makes an attempt to succeed in Mateo on Wednesday night time had been unsuccessful. His lawyer, James Magee, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
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