Hicksville woman stole more than $300,000 from employer to pay off credit cards, cops say
The Nassau County Police Department said that a Hicksville woman stole more than $300,000 from her employer to pay off her personal credit cards. Credit: Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara
A Hicksville woman faces charges after police said she stole more than $300,000 from her employer over an 18-month period, using the stolen funds to pay off her personal credit cards.
Nassau police said Elizabeth Stern, 52, stole the money while working for Superior Air Conditioning & Heating Systems Inc. in Plainview, using stolen and forged checks to pay off $301,958 in personal credit card expenses. Police said Stern also forged and cashed additional checks from her employer totaling about $38,000.
Police could not immediately provide details on what role Stern held at the company — or how she gained access to the checks. Police also could not provide details on the credit card expenses.
A spokesperson at Superior Air could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.
According to online records from the Better Business Bureau, Superior Air has been incorporated since 1982 and records show it has an accredited A+ rating from the BBB.
Police said Stern was charged with second-degree grand larceny, five counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, five counts of first-degree identity theft, five counts of third-degree unlawful possession of identifying information and with first-degree falsifying business records.
Stern pleaded not guilty on 17 counts during her arraignment Wednesday in First District Court in Hempstead, according to court documents. Freeport-based defense attorney Mark D. Silverman, who is representing Stern, was not immediately available for comment Wednesday evening.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
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