Baldwin Woman Charged With Stealing More Than $25,000 from Garden City Park Employer

Torres charged with grand larceny and forgery

MINEOLA, NY – Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced today that a Baldwin woman charged with embezzling more than $25,000 from her employer to pay credit card and utility bills was arrested on larceny and forgery charges.

Sharon Torres, 38, of Baldwin, was charged with Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree. She faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.

Rice said that between about April 30, 2007 and August 1, 2007, Torres embezzled $25,417.13 from Sirina Fire Protection Corporation in Garden City Park, where she worked as a bookkeeper in the accounts payable department. Responsible for issuing checks and paying the company’s bills, Torres instead would white-out the company account number on its checks, and write her own account number instead.

Rice said Torres did this to pay credit card bills, personal expenses, a collection agency, and her Keyspan and LIPA utility bills. Torres also fraudulently used a company Home Depot credit card and charged $3,451.52 in personal expenses over this time period.

The theft was discovered in August of 2007 during an internal review of Sirina’s credit card receipts for the 2007 fiscal year. Torres was immediately fired and has since paid back $7,000.

“Ms. Torres betrayed the trust put in her by her employer so she could line her own pockets,” Rice said. “Her scheme, however, was hardly sophisticated and quickly discovered. She will now face the consequences of her actions.”

Deputy Bureau Chief William J. Wallace of the Government & Consumer Frauds Bureau is handling the case for the District Attorney’s Office.Torres is being represented by Steven Brill, Esq.