PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release on October 28, 2005
Contact: William J. Smith (718) 556-7150
William.Smith@rcda.nyc.gov

D.A. Donovan: S.I. Homeowners’ Association Ex-President Accused of $300k Grand Larceny
***Patricia Messana, 61, Charged With 2nd Degree Grand Larceny; Over $300k Stolen from Woodmont Homeowners’ Association, Inc.***

STATEN ISLAND, NY - Richmond County District Attorney Daniel M. Donovan, Jr. announced today the arrest of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, resident Patricia Messana (DOB: 3/17/1944), formerly of Gauldy Avenue, Staten Island, on charges of Grand Larceny in the 2nd degree, a Class C felony. The defendant surrendered this morning to member’s the District Attorney’s Detective Squad, St. George.
The defendant is the former president of the Woodmont Homeowners’ Association, Inc., a condominium complex located in the Graniteville section of the borough. It is alleged that the defendant, in her capacity as president of the homeowners’ association stole over $300,000 of the association’s money in the period from January 2002 to October 2004.

District Attorney Donovan stated, “The defendant had a simple plan; she would take checks from the association, make them payable to cash and deposit them in her own account. She attempted to hide her actions by placing a description of an association expense, such as “sewer” in the memo line of the check. However, when challenged by the Board of Directors, she was unable to provide documentation that these bills had been paid. As a result of the action alleged in this complaint, these hard- working homeowners were defrauded out of hundreds of thousands of dollars intended for the betterment of their community.”

The defendant’s activity came to light in December 2004 when members of the Board of Directors of the homeowners’ association began to question the defendant’s regarding questionable transactions in the association’s account. Specifically the members noticed hundreds of individual checks written against the association’s accounts in values ranging from $100 to over $5,000.

The investigation is being conducted by Det. Michael Fabozzi of the District Attorney’s Detective Squad, under the supervision of Lt. Frank DeBenedetto and Sgt. James Burke. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Matt Blum, under the supervision of ADA Mario Mattei, Chief of the Investigations Bureau.

The defendant is schedule to be arraigned Friday in Staten Island Criminal Court, Stapleton. She is represented by Ned C. Neuberger, Esq.

The top count, Grand Larceny in the 2nd Degree, is a Class C felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

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

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