Trio Of Home Health Aides Bilked More Than $172K From Octogenarian Patient In Middle Island: DA

RIVERSIDE, NY — A trio of home health aides from Ridge are accused of bilking more than $172,000 from an 84-year-old woman in their care for years in Middle Island, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney's office said Wednesday.

Danielle Guarino, 55, of Coram, Teresa Garcia, 53, and Mamerta Gonzalez, 72, of Ridge, have been charged with grand larceny. Guarino is additionally charged with identity theft for using the woman’s credit cards without authorization to make purchases from Amazon.

Garcia's attorney, Renée Pardo of Islandia, told Patch her client "maintains her innocence in this matter."

She declined further comment.

Patch has reached out to Guarino's attorney, Edward Palermo of Hauppauge.

Gonzalez is being represented by the Legal Aid Society, whose attorneys do not comment on cases.

Tierney said the trio were trusted aides who "exploited the elderly victim’s vulnerabilities to line their own pockets."

He credited the joint effort between his Financial Crimes Bureau and the Suffolk police for a "thorough" investigation into the case, adding that "now these defendants will be held accountable.”

Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina called it a "disheartening case" and commended the investigators "who worked tirelessly to uncover the truth and bring these individuals to justice."

"We remain committed to ensuring offenders who prey upon our vulnerable population for monetary gain will pay the price for their actions," he added.

Prosecutors allege that between October 2019 and January 2022, the elderly woman received care from the trio, and as her physical limitations progressed, she was no longer able to write out checks to pay them or her monthly bills, so as a result, her daughter began to sign blank checks and then gave the checks to Guarino to write out and make the payments.

The victim had a long-term disability insurance policy that required the trio to submit timesheets detailing the hours worked, so she could get reimbursed in accordance with the policy limits, according to prosecutors.

Guarino wrote checks to herself, and the other two woman, in excess of what was recorded on their timesheets for the amount of $160,712, and in total, she received $110,000 in excess of what was recorded on her timesheets, prosecutors said.

Garcia received $43,560 in excess of what was recorded on her timesheets, and Gonzalez received $7,152 in excess of what was recorded on her timesheets, according to prosecutors.

To cover up the theft, Guarino did not accurately record the payee, and the dollar amounts on many of the checks written to herself, and Garcia and Gonzalez in the woman's manual check register, prosecutors said.

Between September 2019 and January 2022, Guarino used the woman's credit cards without authorization to make $12,245 worth of purchases on Amazon, and then used the blank checks signed by the victim’s daughter to pay the resulting credit card bills, according to prosecutors.

In total, it is alleged that $172,957 was stolen from the woman's bank account.

Garcia and Gonzalez pleaded not guilty to the charges, online court records show.

Guarino's arraignment information was not available.

The trio was released because the charges are also considered non-bail eligible under current state law.

Guarino is due back in court on Feb. 10, Garcia on Jan. 26, and Gonzalez on Jan. 29.