Couple That Scammed Businesses Sentenced To Jail

A Brooklyn couple was sentenced to jail on Wednesday for scamming people and businesses in Nassau County, Brooklyn and Queens by claiming they needed money for a child’s funeral and other charitable causes.

Vincent Fina, 30, was sentenced to one to three years in prison. His wife, Brittney Schmidt, 31, was sentenced to one year in jail.

The couple pleaded guilty on Sept. 28 to charges of scheme to defraud, a felony. Following their guilty pleas, both failed to report to the Nassau County Probation Department and court on their scheduled dates. They were both returned to the court on bench warrants.

“These defendants preyed on the generosity of our neighbors and the plight of a sick child when they created a fake charity to line their own pockets,” Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said. “Thanks to the good work of the Lynbrook Police Department and our prosecutors, these scammers will be held accountable.”

The couple was stopped by detectives from the Lynbrook Police Department on Feb. 21, 2017 when they were seen entering and exiting numerous businesses with their 11-year-old son. The couple told the detectives that they were collecting money for “Gianni’s Fight” and explained that Gianni was a young boy who died of a brain tumor, and that the money collected was going to be used to cover his funeral expenses. The detectives issued the couple a summons for solicitation without a permit, recorded their identification and allowed them to leave.

After further investigation, the detectives discovered that the couple used the story of a young boy from Staten Island named Gianni who is suffering from brain cancer, but who is not deceased. The detectives also confirmed that the couple had not been authorized by Gianni’s family to collect on their behalf, and that the family has not received any of the $150 the couple had collected. In addition, the detectives identified at least 10 individuals who were approached by the defendants and their son on Feb. 21, some of whom made donations. The couple was arrested on March 3.

The couple was then re-arrested on March 20 by the Lynbrook Police Department because of additional evidence found by the DA's office. That evidence showed that the defendants collected hundreds of dollars from donors in Nassau, Brooklyn and Queens. In July 2016, the defendants collected money which they said was going to be used to send kids with cancer to camp.

In October 2016, the couple and their son collected money for Gianni’s benefit from several firehouses in Queens. In early February 2017, they and their son solicited money for Gianni’s funeral from businesses and police precincts in Brooklyn. In late February 2017, the couple and their son solicited money and obtained donations from businesses in Brooklyn and in Baldwin. In addition to coaching their 11-year old son to assist in soliciting donations, the couple kept him out of school in order to help them in the scam.

Photos: Nassau County District Attorney's Office