Port Washington Woman Sentenced to 3 to 9 Years in Prison After Stealing More Than $200,000 From Friend

76-year old victim was left with $10 to his name

MINEOLA, NY - Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced today that a Port Washington woman has been sentenced to 3 to 9 years in prison and restitution in the amount of $211,603 by a Nassau County judge after being convicted of stealing that amount from a senior citizen whom she looked after.

Lynn Engstrom, 59, of Port Washington was convicted by a jury on Jan. 28 of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, two counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, two counts of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Third Degree, and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree.

Rice said that in the fall of 2003, Engstrom befriended a then-74-year-old author and professor who lived in Port Washington and had offered Engstrom assistance in writing a children’s book. While nothing came of the project, Engstrom and the man remained good friends. In April 2004, a life-threatening leg injury forced the man into the hospital and in-patient rehabilitation centers through the end of the year. During that time, Engstrom helped the man in paying his bills and was given full power of attorney by the man in April 2004.

From April 2004 through August 2006, Rice said, Engstrom proceeded to use the man’s bank accounts as her own personal cash machine, stealing approximately $211,000, despite being given $129,000 in cash gifts by the man for his appreciation of her assistance in paying his bills and brokering the sale of his Port Washington home. The man even named Engstrom the sole beneficiary in his will. Engstrom made hundreds of ATM withdrawals from the man’s accounts in $500 and $1,000 increments and would then deposit that money into her own accounts, often just minutes later at the same ATM.

After the victim’s bank accounts had been cleaned out, Engstrom borrowed $9,000 against a money market account the victim had. When the bank called requesting repayment, the victim learned that his bank account, once valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, was down to just $10.03.

Handling the case for the District Attorney's Office is Assistant District Attorneys Brian Murphy and Everett Witherell of the DA’s County Court Trial Bureau. The defendant is represented by Marc Gann, Esq. and Daniel Russo, Esq.