Senior Living Employee Accused Of Stealing $400K From UWS Residents, Facility: DA

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — An employee at an Upper West Side senior living residence has been indicted on allegations that he stole more than $400,000 from elderly residents and the facility itself over a period of several years, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.

Devon Ragnauth, 38, of the Bronx, is accused of using his position in the residence's business office to steal checks, divert resident funds and make unauthorized credit card purchases between 2021 and 2025, according to prosecutors.

The most significant alleged theft involved a 92-year-old resident suffering from cognitive decline. Prosecutors say Ragnauth stole 143 checks totaling more than $240,000 from the resident between July 2024 and July 2025.

According to court documents, the checks were written from the resident's bank account to a homecare agency, even though the resident was not receiving services from that company.

The checks were allegedly deposited into Ragnauth's personal bank account. Prosecutors also allege he deposited a separate $12,000 check intended for the resident into his own account.

"The defendant callously exploited his position in a senior living community to allegedly steal from nearly two dozen elderly New Yorkers," Bragg said. "One of the alleged victims was 92-years of age. Financial loss for older individuals can be absolutely devastating, and we will continue to use every tool available to address and prevent these types of pernicious schemes."

Prosecutors allege Ragnauth also stole more than $148,000 from the senior living residence between May 2021 and July 2025. Many of the checks were reportedly refunds intended for former residents who had moved out and were owed money. Authorities say he intercepted the checks and deposited them into his own bank account or an account belonging to a family member.

In another alleged scheme, Ragnauth added a family member as an entertainer for the residence and submitted false invoices that resulted in the facility issuing 17 checks totaling about $11,000, prosecutors said.

The indictment further alleges that Ragnauth stole approximately 60 checks from 17 other residents between January 2021 and December 2024.

Authorities said concerns first surfaced in 2022 when a resident's family member reported a missing check that appeared to have been deposited into Ragnauth's account. Prosecutors allege he later provided falsified bank statements and deposit slips to conceal the theft.

Ragnauth is also accused of using six residents' credit cards to make more than $30,000 in personal purchases, including luxury clothing and vacations.

The indictment charges Ragnauth with multiple offenses, including grand larceny, identity theft, possession of stolen property and scheme to defraud.

The name of the senior living residence was not disclosed by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.