Crime & Safety

DA: Merrick Woman Stole $90K From Her Company

Defendant worked at Roosevelt-based waterproofing subcontractor for 10 years.

A Merrick woman has been charged with grand larceny for allegedly stealing more than $90,000 from the waterproofing company where she worked as comptroller.

Heather DiCostanzo, 46, was arrested Friday morning by DA Investigators and charged with grand larceny in the second degree. She faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted and is scheduled to be arraigned later Friday ay First District Court in Hempstead.

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said that between January 2005 and January 2012, DiCostanzo used her position as comptroller for a Roosevelt-based waterproofing subcontractor to embezzle $90,593 from her employer.

DiCostanzo’s responsibilities including handling accounts payable and receivable and general control of monies flowing through the business, Rice said.

Rice said that DiCostanzo stole the money by making unauthorized purchases on a company American Express card that had been given to her for business expenses, such as buying materials, paying shipping charges, travel expenses, and vendor services.

According to Rice, DiCostanzo also used the card to make numerous personal charges including lodging and airline travel, household appliances, construction materials, concert and theater tickets, and to make purchases at department stores, restaurants, supermarkets, pet stores, service stations, and convenience stores.

The theft was discovered in January 2012 while DiCostanzo was on vacation when a fellow employee noticed that pages were missing from the company’s American Express bill, Rice said. Her employer contacted American Express and found that DiCostanzo had made numerous purchases on the card that were not business-related, including the purchase less than a day earlier of food and drinks just before she boarded a cruise ship.

DiCostanzo's employer put an immediate stop on the card and she was fired a few days later, Rice said. At the time of her termination, DiCostanzo had worked for the company for 10 years and was earning nearly $90,000 per year.

“This defendant lived the high life and duped her employer into picking up the tab, but she could not cover her tracks well enough to avoid today’s arrest,” Rice said. “My office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute cases of employee theft and hold accountable those who brazenly abuse the trust of the hard-working business owners for whom they work.”

The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.


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