FORMER ADULT RESIDENTIAL FACILITY MANAGER INDICTED ON GRAND LARCENY CHARGES

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced the indictment of Desiree Etheridge for six counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree for allegedly stealing funds from the ATM cards of 6 residents of a group for adults with developmental disabilities who entrusted them to her for petty cash purposes.

“This defendant allegedly took advantage of individuals who trusted her and instead of honoring that trust, she stole thousands of dollars from them for her own personal use,” said Tierney. “I thank the Suffolk County Fugitive Squad and members of the Fourth Precinct’s Detective Squad for helping us bring this defendant back to New York to face the consequences of her actions.” 

“Instead of keeping the best interests of the residents she was entrusted to care for, Desiree Etheridge allegedly lined her own pockets by stealing from these vulnerable adults,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison said. “I would like to commend Fourth Squad detectives and the Financial Crime Bureau for their diligent investigation that brought Etheridge to justice after she spent years stealing thousands of dollars from these individuals.”

Etherbridge is also charged with Scheme to Defraud, a Class E Felony.   

According to the investigation, from November 2018 to June 2021 Desiree Etheridge, 48 of North Carolina, allegedly stole funds from the ATM cards of six residents while she was working as residential manager for Eden II, a residential facility in St. James NY. As residential manger, Etheridge had control and access to the 6 residents’ bank accounts and their debit cards. One of her responsibilities was to withdraw money to place in each residents’ petty cash envelope so they could go on outing to eateries and local stores.

When the pandemic hit, there were no outings for the residents and this is when Etheridge allegedly depleted all of their bank accounts. During her employment at Eden II, she allegedly traveled to North Carolina and used these ATM cards there as well. Between 2018 and 2022, approximately $30,000 was stolen in total. Etheridge was indicted by a Suffolk County Grand Jury in June of 2022 by way of a DeNovo Indictment and was picked up in North Carolina on a warrant for the indictment.  

Bail was set in North Carolina on the Fugitive Warrant and she voluntarily surrendered in Suffolk County today to the Fugitive Squad. She was arraigned today before the Honorable Richard I. Horowitz where she was placed on supervised released and as a condition of the release was ordered to surrender her passport. She is due back in court on October 3, 2022 and is represented Christopher Brocato, Esq.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Milito of the Financial Crime Bureau.

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Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

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