Greenvale woman charged with stealing funds from Queens PTA she led, Queens DA says

A Greenvale woman has been charged with stealing more than $41,000 from the Queens PTA where she served as president at an Astoria elementary school. 

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Wednesday that as PTA president at P.S. 166 Athena Gonzalez, 33, used the stolen funds to make purchases at smoke shops, nail salons, a wine store and at Six Flags Great Adventure and at Kalahari Resorts in the Poconos.

Court records show Gonzalez was arraigned Tuesday in Queens Criminal Court before Judge Julieta Lozano, charged with one count of third-degree grand larceny and one count of third-degree criminal possession of stolen property. Records show Gonzalez pleaded not guilty to both counts — and was ordered to appear next on Dec. 3. She faces 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison if convicted.

The attorney of record for Gonzalez could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.

Authorities said Gonzalez was elected PTA president at P.S. 166 in July 2023 and said that on Dec. 11 a check drawn on the PTA account for $1,564.87 was deposited into her bank account.

Between April 2 and July 26 six additional checks — in amounts of between $3,000 and $10,000 — were deposited into a Discover bank account belonging to Gonzalez, authorities said. In all, the seven checks totaled $41,315.87.

Among expenses the Queens District Attorney's office said Gonzalez used the alleged stolen funds for were purchases that included Six Flags, Kalahari, Starbucks and Sephora, smoke shops, nail salons, liquor store, gambling apps and Petco.

Authorities said that on June 18 Gonzalez used a PTA-associated debit card to charge $1,236 for a veterinary bill for her pet at a Nassau County clinic. She also stole $1,120 in cash from the PTA — money, the district attorney's office said, intended for deposit in a PTA bank account.

"This defendant, as PTA president at P.S. 166, was supposed to be a guardian of the association's funds, but, as alleged, instead put the money into her own account and paid for personal trips ... among other expenses," Katz said in a statement.

"For more than nine months, she used the organization as her own personal checking account and ultimately stole more than $41,000. This money was raised by P.S. 166 families to help the school and its students. My office will work to restore those funds and hold this defendant accountable for her breach of trust," Katz said.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

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.”