Dental Office Manager Accused of Stealing $500,000 from Employer

A Mohegan Lake woman is accused of stealing more than $500,000 from the dentist she worked for in White Plains.

Cheryl Higgins, 51, was arraigned on Aug. 4. The felony complaint charges her with one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class “C” Felony, Acting Westchester County District Attorney James A. McCarty announced.

According to the DA's office, the money was stolen over a period of about seven years. Prosecutors allege she both used her boss's personal credit cards and opened and used a secret business card account.

During the period between December 18, 2007 and March 5, 2015, Higgins, the former office manager for David Sandak, D.D.S. of Advanced Periodontics and Implant Dentistry of Westchester stole in excess of $500,000 from her employer.

She accomplished this by opening an unauthorized business credit card and using Dr. Sandak’s personal credit card accounts. The defendant proceeded to pay for her own personal expenses using Dr. Sandak’s funds and to purchase items for herself and her family without permission or authority to do so.

Her bail was set at $100,000. Her next court appearance will be on Aug. 18.

The defendant faces a maximum of 15 years in state prison.

Assistant District Attorney Nicole Gamble of the Investigations Division is prosecuting the case.

In compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 3.6, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty