Suffolk Man Sentenced For 'Despicable' Scam Against Elderly Woman

PUTNAM COUNTY, NY — A career criminal from Long Island who preyed upon an 85-year-old Cold Spring resident was sentenced to 7 1/2 to 15 years in prison and must pay back the $103,050 he stole from her.

Putnam County District Attorney Robert Tendy announced Tuesday that James Mcinerney of Coram was sentenced by the Honorable Joseph J. Spofford on Nov. 9. Mcinerney, 52, had been convicted after a jury trial of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, Attempted Grand
Larceny in the Third Degree, and Resisting Arrest.

Mcinerney stole from the woman over the course of six months by making false representations and promises to her, prosecutors said. SEE: LI Man Scammed Hudson Valley Senior Out Of $100,000

Pretending to be the owner of an asset recovery business, he contacted the Cold Spring woman, told her she was being overcharged or fraudulently charged by other companies. She paid him to obtain refunds for her. After the case was referred to the state police, police investigators were given control of the victim's e-mail account and began communicating with "James Bryant."

Mcinerney attempted to obtain an additional $7,250 by claiming that he made a payment to a company on the victim's behalf and she needed to reimburse him. He was arrested on Jan. 11, 2019, when he drove from Long Island to her residence to, he believed, pick up a check. After a plainclothes investigator in the victim's house identified himself as a member of the New York State Police, Mcinerney fought the arresting officer.

When imposing the sentence, Judge Spofford said Mcinerney was a “career criminal” who “preyed upon” his victim and called the crime "despicable." In addition to the sentence, the judge issued a criminal order of restitution for the victim in the full amount of the theft and issued an order of protection prohibiting Mcinerney from having any contact with her.

"There are so many scams out there, sadly our seniors are often targeted," Tendy said in June when Mcinerney was convicted by a jury. "We are doing everything we can to educate seniors about these scams and vigorously prosecute these cases when an arrest is made."