A New York man who served as caretaker for his elderly neighbor has admitted to stealing nearly $142,000 in pension payments that continued after the neighbor died, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced.
Danilo Pesce, 60, of Pelham, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree grand larceny in Albany County Court, James said.
Payments Continued After Death
The neighbor, Jack Lee Morgan, was a retired Pelham school district teacher who collected a pension from the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System. Morgan died in 2020 with no living beneficiary, so the payments should have stopped.
However, the retirement system was not notified of the death and continued sending $3,497 a month into Morgan’s bank account.
While working as Morgan’s caretaker, Pesce had been added to the bank account and to the deed of Morgan’s Pelham home.
Withdrawals and Repayment
Starting on March 17, 2020, less than a month after Morgan died, Pesce regularly withdrew money from the account, according to the attorney general’s office. He used the cash on upkeep and renovations at Morgan’s home, where he and his wife were living part-time.
In total, Pesce took $141,968. He has paid $147,000 back to the retirement system, which includes $6,000 in interest.
Pesce was arrested on July 30 of this year.
“Danilo Pesce took advantage of the retirement system that thousands of hard-working New York teachers rely on,” James said. “This heartless theft should serve as a reminder that my office will not tolerate anyone who breaks the law to steal from their neighbors.”
