Suffolk Woman Pleads Guilty To Bilking Nursing Home Residents Out Of $50K

SHIRLEY, NY — A Shirley woman pleaded guilty to bilking money from the bank accounts of 11 developmentally disabled residents in her care at a nursing facility, Suffolk prosecutors said Wednesday.

Jazzame Paranzino, 31, admitted that from January 2020 to March 2021 she stole money from the bank accounts of the people while she was working as the site manager for Maryhaven Center of Hope, a residential facility in Medford, prosecutors said. The facility houses severely developmentally disabled adults who are unable to care for themselves in many ways, including managing their finances, according to prosecutors.

As a site manager, Paranzino had control of and access to the residents' bank accounts and debit cards, prosecutors said, adding that one of her responsibilities was to withdraw money to place in each person's petty cash envelope so that they could go on outings to eateries and local stores.

Paranzino withdrew money for home goods for each resident, like furniture and electronics, prosecutors said, adding that she instead took money from the residents’ bank accounts under the guise of purchasing items that they needed, stealing over $50,000 from them.

Ray Tierney, the district attorney, said Parazino's victims were people with severe disabilities who needed 24-hour care.

"These individuals and their families trusted her, and instead of honoring that trust, this defendant stole thousands of dollars from them for her own personal use," he said.

Paranzino pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted grand larceny, and as a condition of her plea, she has agreed to repay the stolen money in exchange for four months’ incarceration and five years’ probation.

Her attorney, Mark Silverman of Freeport, said Paranzino has a 1-year-old child.

He declined further comment.