Angela Parson faces up to five to 15 years in prison
MINEOLA, N.Y. – Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a court-appointed guardian and executrix was arrested today for allegedly stealing more than $50,000 from the guardianship accounts of the minor.
Angela Parson, 58, of Hempstead, was arraigned today before District Court Judge Joseph Girardi and charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (a C felony). The defendant was conditionally released to probation and is due back in court on July 21. Parson faces up to five to 15 years in prison if convicted.
“This defendant is charged with stealing more than $50,000 from a child who was placed in her guardianship after his mother passed away,” said DA Singas. “Guardians are entrusted by our legal system with special responsibilities to act in the best interests of those in their care, but this defendant allegedly violated that trust for her own personal self-enrichment. My office will aggressively prosecute this case and seek full restitution for this young victim.”
DA Singas said that in April 2009, the mother of the complainant passed away. The defendant was named executrix of the deceased’s Last Will and Testament and named guardian of the person and property of the deceased’s child, the complainant, who was 11 years old at the time.
In May 2009, Parson was appointed the guardian of the person and property of the complainant by the Hon. John B. Riordan, then Judge of the Nassau County Surrogate’s Court. The letters of guardianship provided that the defendant was “restrained from collecting or disposing of any property” of the minor “without further Order of this Court.”
In June 2009, the letters of guardianship were amended to lift restrictions and provided for joint control of the property of the minor by Parson and Capital One Bank. Parson was ordered to file an annual accounting within 30 days of the anniversary of her appointment as guardian. However, no such accounting appears to have ever been filed.
In July 2009, the defendant opened a guardianship account in the name of the minor at a bank other than Capital One into which approximately $18,500 was deposited. The defendant was the sole authorized signature on the account. No order appears in the Surrogate Court’s files authorizing the opening of this account. By February 2011 the balance of the account was zero dollars.
In September 2011, the defendant opened a custodial account in the name of the minor at Capital One with a deposit of $60,000. Again, the defendant was the sole authorized signature on the account. By May 2015 the balance of the account was zero dollars.
The defendant allegedly withdrew the money for personal expenditures that are not related to the minor. A review of the Surrogate’s Court files fails to show that the withdrawals were made by court order or otherwise with the knowledge and approval of the Court.
Additionally, the defendant wrote to the Surrogate’s Court in August 2010 requesting that she be “released from all custody obligation for (the minor)” as he no longer resided with her but was living with his father in Jamaica.
However the Guardianship Department of the Surrogate’s Court responded to the defendant that she needed to complete the enclosed “appropriate petition to revoke your appointment as guardian and accounting form regarding funds that were to be deposited in Capital One as per Order dated 6/18/2009.” According to the files of the Surrogate Court, the defendant did not file the required petition or any accounting.
The matter came to the attention of the NCDA in November 2015 when the now adult complainant notified the office that he was unable to contact Parson, his appointed guardian. The victim further alleged that his guardianship account had been withdrawn by her in violation of the order of the Nassau County Surrogate’s Court.
Any individual who believes that he or she may have been the victim of a crime should contact the NCDA Tip Line at (516) 571 – 7755.
Assistant District Attorney Marshall Trager, Chief of the Government & Consumer Frauds Bureau, is prosecuting the case. Parson is represented by Marc J. Ialenti, Esq.
The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.