Nassau Woman Stole $750,000 From 91-Year-Old Client: DA

NEW HYDE PARK, NY — A New Hyde Park woman was arraigned today on larceny charges for stealing $750,000 from an elderly woman, the Nassau County district attorney said.

Elizabeth Reilly, 48, was indicted on a charge of second-degree grand larceny, and pleaded not guilty. She is due back in court on May 6. If convicted, she could face up to 15 years in prison.

“The victim believed she was doing the prudent thing when she entrusted her finances to her attorney’s office. Instead, Reilly took advantage of her employee access, allegedly siphoning hundreds of thousands of dollars from the victim by writing herself checks, saving the victim’s credit card information to [her own] PayPal account, and also using the victim’s credit card to shop for beauty products, airline tickets and pay for a gym membership on the victim’s dime,” said District Attorney Anne Donnelly. “My office is committed to protecting Nassau County’s senior citizens who are frequently preyed upon by unscrupulous individuals in these fraud schemes.”

According to Donnelly, Reilly worked for a Floral Park attorney who had a verbal agreement with a 91-year-old woman that he would handle her finances as she began to execute a living will, power of attorney and other documents with him. As part of the agreement, the law office became the mailing address for the victim's financial institutions. Reilly was given access to bank statements, check books, credit cards and financial statements.

Donnelly said that, between 2016 and 2020, Reilly wrote more than 250 checks from the victim's bank account to herself or to cash, and deposited them in her own account, or her husband's account. The checks totaled more than $675,000.

The victim's credit card statements also showed hundreds of transactions on PayPal for donations to an animal shelter, Donnelly said. Reilly also used the victim's credit cards to purchase beauty products, a gym membership and airline tickets, Donnelly said. Reilly paid the credit card balance using the victim's bank account, according to Donnelly.

The theft was discovered in October 2020, when Donnelly said the lawyer's office reviewed the victim's credit card statements and found questionable activity. The case was referred to the district attorney's office in February 2021.